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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cap · branch · net · saw · pop · kick · craft · lash

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — music
  4. net — for catching
  5. saw — the tool
  6. kick — in football
  7. net — after costs
  8. cap — of ice
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. cap — a lid
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. branch — a division
  19. craft — a skill
  20. cap — a hat
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. craft — boats
  24. net — in sport

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