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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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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: bank · board · race · lash · branch · cap · pound · squash

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  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. pound — for dogs
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. race — humankind
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. board — to get on
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. race — a contest
  11. board — a committee
  12. branch — a division
  13. bank — for money
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bank — of a river
  19. pound — a weight
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — to crush
  22. race — the arms race
  23. bank — for money
  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