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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. squash — to crush
  4. track — a song
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. pop — soda
  7. squash — the sport
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — to come from
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. bound — obliged
  12. track — a path
  13. bound — tied together
  14. pop — to visit
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. wound — an injury
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. pop — music
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. track — to keep track
  21. toast — bread
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. branch — a division

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