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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: squash · chip · suit · branch · trunk · saw · leaves · staff

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. suit — to fit
  4. staff — employees
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. saw — the tool
  8. staff — a stick
  9. squash — the sport
  10. staff — employees
  11. branch — a division
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. saw — the tool
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. chip — for betting
  20. suit — in cards
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. chip — to eat
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. squash — to crush

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