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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.

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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: pass · straw · branch · chest · rush · trunk · mate · lash

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. chest — a box
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. mate — a partner
  6. rush — hurry
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. mate — a friend
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. mate — to breed
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. chest — of your body
  19. branch — a division
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. chest — of your body

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