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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bank — for money
  3. rest — what's left
  4. tear — to rip
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. branch — a division
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the sport
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. tear — from crying
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bank — of a river
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bank — for money
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. rest — what's left
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. rest — a break

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