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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
468
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 · pitcher · branch · racket · can · lash · wind · stem

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. can — to be able to
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. wind — moving air
  12. stem — to come from
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wind — moving air
  19. can — a tin
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. squash — to crush
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. can — a tin
  24. branch — a division

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