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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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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: branch · lie · bowl · pit · lash · court · chip · wake

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. pit — a hole
  3. court — of a king
  4. chip — to eat
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. chip — for betting
  12. wake — a trail
  13. court — for sport
  14. lie — to recline
  15. branch — a division
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. court — of law
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. pit — in a race
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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