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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 · rest · tube · hand · fan · branch · perch · net

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. hand — help
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. perch — the fish
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. rest — what's left
  7. net — for catching
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. tube — a container
  12. hand — in cards
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. tube — the underground
  17. net — in sport
  18. branch — a division
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rest — what's left
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. net — after costs
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rest — a break

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