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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 120 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: lash · snap · foot · club · branch · bear · dip · pitcher

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. club — for golf
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. foot — a measure
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — a group
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. branch — a division
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bear — the animal
  21. dip — to sink
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. snap — to click

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