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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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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: kick · track · branch · staff · lash · squash · perch · race

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. race — the arms race
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. kick — in football
  7. staff — a stick
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. track — to keep track
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. perch — the fish
  14. squash — the sport
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. squash — to crush
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — humankind
  20. track — a path
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. track — a song

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