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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: squash · branch · charge · last · leaves · firm · lash · pop

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. firm — decided
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. firm — steady
  5. pop — soda
  6. last — final
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. charge — in control
  12. pop — music
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. last — to go on
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. firm — a company
  17. squash — the sport
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — a price
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. squash — to crush
  23. last — finally
  24. pop — to visit

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