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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: lash · mine · last · season · stem · branch · nail · rash

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mine — for digging
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — final
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — of the year
  19. rash — a series
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — a division
  24. rash — hasty

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