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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.

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 · game · chair · branch · mark · spring · lie · cap

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. lie — to recline
  4. game — wild animals
  5. spring — the season
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. spring — a coil
  9. chair — a leader
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. game — a match
  12. cap — a lid
  13. branch — a division
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. cap — a hat
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. spring — of water
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. mark — a trace
  23. cap — of ice
  24. chair — a professorship

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