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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: game · hide · lash · ground · lie · branch · stock · present

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. stock — goods
  7. present — the time now
  8. lie — to recline
  9. ground — crushed
  10. present — a gift
  11. ground — a position
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. game — a match
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. ground — the earth
  19. branch — a division
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. present — there
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. game — wild animals
  24. stock — shares

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