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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 116 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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. pop — to visit
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rock — music
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. branch — a division
  13. pop — soda
  14. squash — the sport
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. land — ground
  18. pop — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. land — a country
  22. land — to come down
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. fan — a supporter

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