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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: chip · lash · straw · rash · bowl · ball · bound · branch

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a great time
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. chip — for betting
  9. branch — a division
  10. bound — obliged
  11. rash — hasty
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bound — tied together
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bound — certain

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