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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: shower · ruler · club · lash · straw · saw · branch · sharp

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. saw — the tool
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. shower — rain
  9. saw — the tool
  10. shower — to wash
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. club — a group
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. sharp — clever
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. branch — a division
  23. club — for golf
  24. ruler — a monarch

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