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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: coach · rush · branch · nail · ball · current · lash · hand

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. current — happening now
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — in cards
  16. ball — a dance
  17. rush — hurry
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. ball — a great time
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. current — of water
  24. coach — pulled by horses

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com