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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: lash · mug · roll · stand · lean · chip · object · branch

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. stand — to bear
  3. roll — a list
  4. mug — to rob
  5. object — to protest
  6. roll — a cake
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. object — a thing
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. mug — a face
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — to eat
  14. lean — thin
  15. mug — a cup
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lean — to bend
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — a division
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. chip — for betting
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. object — an aim

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