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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. land — a country
  8. rash — a series
  9. squash — to crush
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. rash — hasty
  13. squash — the sport
  14. dip — to sink
  15. land — ground
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a ring
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. land — to come down

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