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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.

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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: spring · pitcher · bear · rush · lash · pop · stick · branch

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pop — to visit
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. rush — hurry
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — a division
  11. spring — of water
  12. pop — music
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. pop — soda
  15. bear — the animal
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — a coil
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bear — the animal

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