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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: saw · track · squash · dip · degree · kid · branch · leaves

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. degree — an amount
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. track — to keep track
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. degree — temperature
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. squash — to crush
  9. track — a song
  10. squash — the sport
  11. branch — a division
  12. degree — from a university
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. dip — to sink
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. kid — child
  20. track — a path
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. saw — the tool
  23. kid — to tease
  24. leaves — 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