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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.

Make a worksheet

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: fine · lash · foot · mine · cold · wound · branch · ground

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — a measure
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. cold — not warm
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. ground — crushed
  10. mine — for digging
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fine — high quality
  13. cold — an illness
  14. ground — a position
  15. fine — all right
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. ground — the earth

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