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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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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 · ball · fork · kid · bay · root · lash · content

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. root — of a plant
  4. fork — in a road
  5. content — happy
  6. root — the cause
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. content — the amount
  9. root — of a word
  10. branch — a division
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — child
  19. kid — to tease
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. ball — a great time
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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