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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. squash — the sport
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. squash — to crush
  11. band — a music group
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. band — a ring
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. toast — bread
  18. hand — in cards
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. hand — help
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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