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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.

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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: can · lash · rash · branch · bear · safe · net · spring

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bear — the animal
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. net — for catching
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. rash — a series
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. net — in sport
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. branch — a division
  19. spring — the season
  20. rash — hasty
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. net — after costs
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. spring — of water

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