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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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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 · staff · arm · branch · mug · fan · last · face

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. face — to confront
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. last — final
  6. face — to point toward
  7. mug — a cup
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. staff — employees
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. staff — a stick
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. staff — employees
  15. mug — a face
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mug — to rob
  18. face — part of the head
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — finally
  24. branch — a division

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