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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. content — the amount
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. squash — the sport
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — the arms race
  11. content — happy
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. race — humankind
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wax — to grow
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. squash — to crush
  23. branch — a division
  24. mine — for digging

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