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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 116 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: lean · pitcher · club · branch · wake · stick · lash · cue

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. wake — a trail
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. club — for dancing
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. cue — a hint
  12. branch — a division
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lean — thin
  18. club — for golf
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. cue — a signal
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. cue — for pool
  23. lean — to bend
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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