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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.

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: net · branch · lash · coach · game · wave · drill · stick

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. game — wild animals
  5. drill — army training
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. drill — a practice
  15. net — in sport
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. branch — a division
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. net — for catching
  22. drill — the tool
  23. game — a match
  24. game — a kind of play

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