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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: content · spell · lash · kick · lie · branch · rush · dip

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. spell — magic
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. content — happy
  6. spell — letters
  7. dip — to sink
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. spell — a short time
  10. content — the amount
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. kick — in football
  17. branch — a division
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. dip — a sauce

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