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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: lean · squash · branch · staff · bore · rush · ball · stock

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. ball — a great time
  3. lean — thin
  4. squash — the sport
  5. staff — a stick
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. staff — employees
  8. branch — a division
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. ball — a dance
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bore — to tire
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. stock — shares
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. staff — employees
  18. squash — to crush
  19. stock — goods
  20. bore — to drill
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. rush — hurry

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