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

Word bank: squash · bay · pop · saw · board · branch · bulb · chest

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. squash — to crush
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bulb — for light
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pop — to visit
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. board — a committee
  13. chest — a box
  14. chest — of your body
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. pop — music
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. pop — soda
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bulb — for light
  22. squash — the sport
  23. branch — a division
  24. board — to get on

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