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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rest · mouse · trunk · branch · bound · squash · dip · lash

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bound — certain
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. squash — the sport
  10. dip — to sink
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bound — obliged
  17. squash — to crush
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bound — tied together
  24. mouse — for a computer

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