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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: cell · rest · lash · bulb · stick · branch · roll · bear

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. roll — a list
  3. cell — a phone
  4. roll — a cake
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bear — the animal
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bear — the animal
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rest — a break
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bulb — for light
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. cell — in biology
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. branch — a division
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. lash — an eyelash

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