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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: rush · lash · branch · straw · suit · drill · dip · net

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. net — after costs
  3. suit — in cards
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — the tool
  6. suit — to fit
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. net — in sport
  9. rush — hurry
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. net — for catching
  15. suit — clothes
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. dip — to sink
  21. drill — a practice
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. dip — to dunk

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