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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.

Words on the sheet
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: spell · field · lash · branch · cap · object · tube · pound

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  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. lash — a whip stroke
  2. cap — a hat
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — letters
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. cap — a lid
  7. field — farmland
  8. pound — a weight
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — a subject
  11. spell — magic
  12. tube — the underground
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — to protest
  16. cap — of ice
  17. branch — a division
  18. tube — a container
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — an eyelash
  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