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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: bear · spell · cell · key · branch · lash · tube · board

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bear — the animal
  3. board — to get on
  4. cell — in biology
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bear — the animal
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. spell — letters
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. branch — a division
  12. board — a committee
  13. tube — a container
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. tube — the underground
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. cell — a phone
  20. key — in music
  21. spell — a short time
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. spell — magic

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