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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: lash · branch · nail · calf · bank · spring · wound · rash

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — hasty
  4. spring — a coil
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. spring — the season
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. wound — an injury
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. wound — an injury
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bank — for money
  20. spring — of water
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rash — on the skin

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