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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. can — a tin
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. staff — employees
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. lie — to recline
  16. squash — to crush
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. can — a tin
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. branch — a division
  23. pound — a weight
  24. squash — the sport

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