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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: branch · net · scale · roll · lash · squash · nail · leaves

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. scale — in music
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. net — for catching
  8. scale — size or range
  9. roll — a cake
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. squash — to crush
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. net — in sport
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. net — after costs
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. branch — a division
  19. squash — the sport
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a list

Multiple-meaning words list

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

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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