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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
468
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: lash · calf · branch · nail · date · present · rest · bass

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bass — the fish
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. date — the fruit
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. rest — a break
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. rest — what's left
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. present — there
  14. present — a gift
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. branch — a division
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bass — low music
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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