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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: net · scale · fan · charge · branch · fine · lash · chest

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. branch — a division
  4. net — for catching
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fine — high quality
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — a box
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. charge — a price
  15. chest — of your body
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. charge — electricity
  19. scale — in music
  20. net — after costs
  21. fine — all right
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. scale — size or range
  24. charge — in control

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