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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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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 · branch · shower · snap · present · kid · staff · bear

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. present — the time now
  3. bear — the animal
  4. kid — child
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. present — there
  7. shower — rain
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. kid — to tease
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to click
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. present — a gift
  20. branch — a division
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bear — the animal
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. staff — a stick

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