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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: toast · fine · chair · spell · lash · shower · fan · branch

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. shower — to wash
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. spell — letters
  9. toast — bread
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. fine — all right
  15. spell — a short time
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. shower — rain
  18. spell — magic
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. branch — a division
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. chair — a leader
  24. fine — high quality

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