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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 116 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 · spring · lash · mug · dip · clip · rash · branch

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. branch — a division
  3. rash — a series
  4. clip — a video
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. dip — to sink
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — the season
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. rash — hasty
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. spring — of water
  16. mug — a face
  17. clip — to cut
  18. mug — a cup
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. clip — for paper
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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