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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.

Make a worksheet

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: chair · branch · tube · lash · pitch · row · drill · can

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. chair — a leader
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. branch — a division
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. tube — a container
  9. can — a tin
  10. drill — army training
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. drill — a practice
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. tube — the underground
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a line
  22. pitch — completely
  23. drill — the tool
  24. chair — to sit on

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