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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: branch · squash · race · wound · fine · sharp · content · suit

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. race — humankind
  3. squash — to crush
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. wound — an injury
  7. content — the amount
  8. suit — in cards
  9. fine — high quality
  10. branch — a division
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. suit — clothes
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. sharp — clever
  16. fine — all right
  17. wound — an injury
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. squash — the sport
  20. suit — to fit
  21. content — happy
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — a contest

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