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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. branch — a division
  3. mug — a face
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. craft — boats
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. squash — to crush
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. squash — the sport
  15. mug — a cup
  16. kick — in football
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bark — to shout
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bound — certain
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. mug — to rob

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