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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.

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: branch · shower · chip · band · lash · hide · pop · bank

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. pop — soda
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. chip — for betting
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bank — of a river
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — music
  10. branch — a division
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a ring
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bank — for money
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — rain
  20. bank — for money
  21. shower — to wash
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. branch — of a tree

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