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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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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 · fine · spell · band · bore · game · branch · safe

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. spell — letters
  4. branch — a division
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bore — to drill
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bore — to tire
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a music group
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. spell — a short time
  15. squash — the sport
  16. game — a match
  17. fine — all right
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fine — high quality
  22. spell — magic
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. branch — of a tree

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