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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 120 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: snap · branch · lash · dip · fine · cap · chest · track

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. fine — all right
  5. chest — a box
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a hat
  8. dip — to sink
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to click
  11. chest — of your body
  12. track — a path
  13. fine — high quality
  14. track — a song
  15. chest — of your body
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. track — to keep track
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. cap — a lid
  24. branch — a division

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