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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. roll — a cake
  3. lean — to bend
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. kid — child
  9. roll — a list
  10. key — the most important part
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. key — for a lock
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. squash — the sport
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — to tease
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. squash — to crush
  19. lean — thin
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — a division
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. key — in music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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