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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. wake — a trail
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. date — the fruit
  10. tube — a container
  11. chair — a leader
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. squash — the sport
  16. branch — a division
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. prune — to trim
  24. tube — the underground

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