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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: branch · suit · leaves · lash · kid · press · fall · shower

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. kid — to tease
  5. fall — the season
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. press — to push
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. press — newspapers
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. kid — child
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. shower — rain
  17. branch — a division
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. shower — to wash
  20. press — a publisher
  21. suit — clothes
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — in cards

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