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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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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: pop · firm · bark · can · shower · chest · branch · lash

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. shower — rain
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. pop — music
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. firm — steady
  10. pop — soda
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. firm — a company
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. branch — a division
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bark — to shout
  20. pop — to visit
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. can — to be able to
  23. firm — decided
  24. chest — a box

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