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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: branch · chip · season · staff · shower · lash · rash · bark

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. rash — hasty
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bark — to shout
  9. staff — a stick
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. staff — employees
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. season — of the year
  15. branch — a division
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. season — in sport
  18. chip — for betting
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. shower — rain
  24. staff — employees

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