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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: branch · hand · pass · cell · trunk · chest · key · lash

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. branch — a division
  5. hand — in cards
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. hand — help
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pass — a permit
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — the most important part
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. chest — of your body
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. cell — in biology
  20. key — in music
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. chest — of your body
  24. cell — a phone

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