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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. rash — a series
  7. squash — the sport
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bore — to drill
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. tube — a container
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bore — to tire
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — a position
  19. tube — the underground
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. ground — the earth
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. squash — to crush

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