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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: squash · field · saw · branch · spell · leaves · pop · coach

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. spell — magic
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pop — to visit
  8. field — for sport
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. field — farmland
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pop — music
  15. saw — the tool
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pop — soda
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. spell — a short time
  20. field — a subject
  21. spell — letters
  22. branch — a division
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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