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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.

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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: file · wake · wind · squash · branch · kid · rock · fine

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. kid — to tease
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. rock — a stone
  5. wind — moving air
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. file — a tool
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. branch — a division
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wind — moving air
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. fine — all right
  16. kid — child
  17. file — a line of people
  18. fine — high quality
  19. rock — music
  20. squash — to crush
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. file — a document
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. squash — the sport

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