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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 120 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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. object — a thing
  5. squash — to crush
  6. chip — for betting
  7. stand — to bear
  8. squash — the sport
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. branch — a division
  16. bark — to shout
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. object — an aim
  21. chip — to eat
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. object — to protest

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