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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 · dip · cue · hand · snap · nail · march

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — a signal
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. march — the month
  7. snap — to click
  8. march — music
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. march — the month
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. cue — for pool
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. branch — a division
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. hand — in cards
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. hand — help
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — to sink

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