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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 116 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: club · row · branch · fork · dip · lash · bank · game

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. row — a line
  3. club — a group
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bank — for money
  6. club — for dancing
  7. game — a match
  8. game — wild animals
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. club — for golf
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bank — of a river
  14. fork — in a road
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. row — to paddle
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — a division
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bank — for money
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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