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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: bear · rash · bound · tube · lash · pit · branch · snap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. tube — a container
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. rash — a series
  7. pit — a hole
  8. branch — a division
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bound — obliged
  12. tube — the underground
  13. snap — to click
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. rash — hasty
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bound — certain
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bound — tied together
  24. pit — in a race

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