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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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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: stick · rash · can · spring · branch · leaves · lash · fine

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. spring — a coil
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. spring — the season
  7. can — to be able to
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. fine — high quality
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. spring — of water
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rash — a series
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. can — a tin
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. branch — a division
  21. can — a tin
  22. fine — all right
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. rash — hasty

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