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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: net · lash · branch · rash · club · straw · calf · mate

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. net — for catching
  3. club — a group
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — a friend
  6. rash — a series
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. club — for golf
  11. rash — hasty
  12. net — after costs
  13. mate — to breed
  14. branch — a division
  15. net — in sport
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. club — for dancing
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. lash — to lash out

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