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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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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — a line
  3. rash — hasty
  4. squash — to crush
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. row — to paddle
  7. key — in music
  8. branch — a division
  9. deal — to handle
  10. rash — a series
  11. key — the most important part
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. key — for a lock
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. squash — the sport
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bound — certain
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bound — obliged
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bound — tied together
  24. branch — of a bank

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