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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 120 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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. squash — to crush
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wind — moving air
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. dip — to sink
  9. squash — the sport
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — a law
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wake — a trail
  16. fork — in a road
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. wind — moving air
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. branch — a division
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. rule — to rule out

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