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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 116 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: craft · last · cabinet · cold · squash · branch · cue · racket

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. branch — a division
  4. last — finally
  5. last — to go on
  6. cue — a signal
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. squash — to crush
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a skill
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cold — not warm
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. last — final
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cue — for pool
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. squash — the sport
  21. cue — a hint
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. cabinet — ministers

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