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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. land — ground
  5. branch — a division
  6. content — the amount
  7. land — to come down
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — a gift
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — to crush
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. land — a country
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. present — there
  20. content — happy
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bass — low music
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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