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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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Word bank
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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. kid — child
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. kid — to tease
  5. squash — to crush
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bass — the fish
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. fine — high quality
  19. snap — to click
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bass — low music
  24. branch — a division

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