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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. can — a tin
  5. squash — the sport
  6. current — of water
  7. can — a tin
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. lean — thin
  10. current — happening now
  11. lean — to bend
  12. capital — money
  13. current — electric
  14. season — of the year
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. season — in sport
  17. branch — a division
  18. snap — to click
  19. capital — a city
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. can — to be able to
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. lean — to rest against

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