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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: charge · rash · bay · fan · stand · lash · branch · saw

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. charge — a price
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. charge — in control
  18. rash — a series
  19. branch — a division
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. charge — electricity
  24. stand — to bear

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