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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: branch · lash · hand · march · drill · root · board · season

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. drill — army training
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. season — of the year
  6. march — music
  7. root — of a word
  8. drill — the tool
  9. board — to get on
  10. march — the month
  11. season — in sport
  12. march — the month
  13. drill — a practice
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — the cause
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. board — a committee
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. hand — help
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. branch — a division
  24. hand — part of the 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