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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: hand · hide · leaves · bulb · saw · branch · lash · club

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. hand — in cards
  6. club — for dancing
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. branch — a division
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. hand — help
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bulb — for light
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. club — for golf
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. club — a group
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. hide — animal skin

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