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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: arm · lash · rush · branch · trunk · tear · fall · net

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. branch — a division
  3. net — for catching
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. rush — hurry
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. fall — the season
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. tear — from crying
  14. net — after costs
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. fall — to drop
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. tear — from crying
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. tear — to rip
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. net — in sport

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