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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.

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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: can · branch · current · key · lash · object · shower · bat

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — an aim
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. key — the most important part
  6. current — electric
  7. branch — a division
  8. key — in music
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. current — happening now
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. bat — the animal
  14. key — for a lock
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. current — of water
  18. object — a thing
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. shower — rain
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. can — to be able to
  23. shower — to wash
  24. lash — an eyelash

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