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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: lash · press · branch · deal · hand · last · ruler · kid

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. branch — a division
  5. press — a publisher
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. press — to push
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. kid — child
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. kid — to tease
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. hand — help
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. last — finally
  19. hand — in cards
  20. press — newspapers
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. last — final
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. last — to go on

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