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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  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. wound — an injury
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. branch — a division
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. track — a path
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — to crush
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. track — a song
  16. season — of the year
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. suit — in cards
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. season — in sport
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — to fit
  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