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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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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. fall — to drop
  3. can — to be able to
  4. deal — to handle
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. fall — the season
  8. squash — to crush
  9. degree — from a university
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — a tool
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. fall — to drop
  16. stock — goods
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. squash — the sport
  20. degree — an amount
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. stock — shares
  23. branch — a division
  24. degree — temperature

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