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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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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: saw · fan · branch · craft · lash · cap · can · fall

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  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. lash — to lash out
  3. cap — of ice
  4. can — a tin
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cap — a lid
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. branch — a division
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. can — a tin
  14. fall — the season
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a skill
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. cap — a hat
  20. can — to be able to
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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