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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. saw — the tool
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. march — the month
  7. hand — in cards
  8. root — of a plant
  9. season — in sport
  10. branch — a division
  11. saw — the tool
  12. squash — to crush
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. season — of the year
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. hand — help
  22. squash — the sport
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a word

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