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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: branch · cap · spring · wave · scale · stand · lash · dip

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. cap — a hat
  3. dip — to sink
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. spring — a coil
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. branch — a division
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. spring — the season
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. scale — size or range
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. cap — a lid
  20. spring — of water
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. cap — of ice
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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