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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: branch · squash · club · spell · lash · key · stick · stand

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. club — for golf
  3. squash — the sport
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — in music
  12. spell — a short time
  13. stand — to bear
  14. spell — magic
  15. club — for dancing
  16. branch — a division
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. squash — to crush
  19. spell — letters
  20. club — a group
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. key — for a lock
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. lash — to lash out

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