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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: pitcher · lash · rest · bound · bay · can · mouse · branch

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. can — to be able to
  3. rest — what's left
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. branch — a division
  6. rest — a break
  7. can — a tin
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bound — obliged
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. rest — what's left
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bound — tied together
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. can — a tin
  23. bound — certain
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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