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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.

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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: deal · bore · straw · branch · face · lash · bowl · wound

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  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. bowl — to roll
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. wound — an injury
  10. face — to confront
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bore — to tire
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. face — part of the head
  19. branch — a division
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. face — to point toward
  22. wound — an injury
  23. deal — to handle
  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