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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: degree · lash · stick · branch · craft · object · bat · dip

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. branch — a division
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bat — the animal
  9. object — a thing
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. craft — boats
  12. dip — to sink
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — to protest
  24. craft — a skill

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