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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 120 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: pit · branch · lash · fall · nail · bass · rush · bear

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bass — the fish
  8. fall — to drop
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. fall — the season
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. pit — a hole
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rush — hurry
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bass — low music
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bear — the animal

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