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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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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 · stick · bay · club · branch · snap · content · racket

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. content — happy
  5. club — for golf
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. snap — to click
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. content — the amount
  16. club — for dancing
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. branch — a division
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. content — videos and posts

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