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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bank — for money
  4. clip — a video
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. plane — a tool
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bank — of a river
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — a division
  12. present — the time now
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. clip — for paper
  15. squash — the sport
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. squash — to crush
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. present — there
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. present — a gift
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bank — for money
  24. sharp — clever

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