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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. can — to be able to
  3. capital — money
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. saw — the tool
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. ball — a dance
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a line of people
  15. can — a tin
  16. file — a tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. ball — a great time
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. can — a tin
  21. squash — the sport
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — a division
  24. capital — a city

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