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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 116 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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. row — to paddle
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. row — a line
  6. scale — size or range
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. mate — to breed
  9. branch — a division
  10. mark — a trace
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. mate — a partner
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. squash — the sport
  19. scale — in music
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mark — a grade
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. scale — for weighing

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