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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. squash — to crush
  3. branch — a division
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. tube — a container
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. present — a gift
  13. fall — to drop
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. tube — the underground
  16. fall — to drop
  17. squash — the sport
  18. present — there
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. fall — the season
  22. lean — to bend
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. lean — thin

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