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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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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: lash · bay · clip · scale · branch · fall · charge · racket

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. fall — to drop
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. scale — in music
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — a price
  14. branch — a division
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. charge — electricity
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. fall — to drop
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. scale — size or range
  22. clip — a video
  23. fall — the season
  24. racket — for tennis

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