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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: row · cold · branch · lash · bore · jam · last · mug

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — to paddle
  4. branch — a division
  5. mug — a face
  6. last — finally
  7. last — to go on
  8. bore — to drill
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. cold — not warm
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bore — to tire
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. row — a line
  20. last — final
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. mug — to rob
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bore — gave birth

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