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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: club · board · kick · branch · hand · lash · season · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. board — to get on
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. season — in sport
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. hand — in cards
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — a group
  12. season — of the year
  13. branch — a division
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. club — for dancing
  19. kick — in football
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. hand — help
  24. board — a committee

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