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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 · fan · wind · arm · rock · lie · branch · cabinet

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. branch — a division
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. wind — moving air
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rock — a stone
  23. lie — to recline
  24. rock — music

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