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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: staff · lash · present · rock · plane · last · branch · game

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. present — there
  3. branch — a division
  4. last — to go on
  5. game — a match
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. game — wild animals
  10. last — final
  11. rock — music
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. present — a gift
  14. plane — a tool
  15. present — the time now
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. rock — a stone
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. last — finally
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. staff — a stick
  24. branch — of a bank

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