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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.

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: leaves · squash · file · court · lash · tube · cue · branch

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a line of people
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. squash — to crush
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — for sport
  12. cue — a signal
  13. court — of law
  14. cue — a hint
  15. tube — a container
  16. file — a tool
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. cue — for pool
  21. tube — the underground
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — the sport

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