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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: coach · hide · branch · ground · lash · toast · rest · file

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. toast — bread
  5. ground — crushed
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. branch — a division
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rest — a break
  16. file — a line of people
  17. file — a tool
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. file — a document
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — the earth
  24. branch — of a bank

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