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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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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 · snap · lash · hide · game · fork · bulb · bay

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. game — a match
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. branch — a division
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. snap — to click
  21. bulb — for light
  22. game — wild animals
  23. branch — of a tree
  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