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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: ruler · branch · lash · mug · degree · board · spring · leaves

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. degree — from a university
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. mug — a face
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. mug — a cup
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. mug — to rob
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. degree — temperature
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. board — to get on
  17. spring — a coil
  18. degree — an amount
  19. spring — the season
  20. branch — a division
  21. board — a committee
  22. spring — of water
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. leaves — to go away

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