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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 120 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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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: lash · branch · rash · swing · calf · deal · chair · wound

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. swing — in golf
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. wound — an injury
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. rash — a series
  9. swing — music
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rash — hasty
  14. chair — a leader
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. branch — a division
  18. wound — an injury
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. deal — to handle
  24. swing — to play 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