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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: field · arm · stand · bore · lash · can · cell · branch

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. stand — to bear
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. field — farmland
  5. can — a tin
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. field — a subject
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. can — to be able to
  13. cell — a phone
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bore — to tire
  16. cell — in biology
  17. field — for sport
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. branch — a division
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. can — a tin
  24. arm — a part of something

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