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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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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 · dip · can · rash · branch · squash · perch · roll

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. rash — a series
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. dip — to sink
  6. can — to be able to
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — a division
  9. squash — the sport
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. squash — to crush
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. rash — hasty
  14. can — a tin
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. can — a tin
  19. roll — a cake
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — boats
  23. roll — a list
  24. perch — the fish

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