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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. saw — the tool
  4. suit — to fit
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. suit — in cards
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. prune — to trim
  9. squash — the sport
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. sharp — clever
  13. branch — a division
  14. capital — money
  15. prune — to trim
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. capital — a city
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. squash — to crush
  24. suit — clothes

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