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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. chest — a box
  3. branch — a division
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. object — a thing
  7. mug — to rob
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. march — the month
  12. mug — a face
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. fork — in a road
  16. object — an aim
  17. mug — a cup
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. squash — to crush
  20. object — to protest
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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