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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: branch · band · suit · tear · dip · present · squash · degree

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. squash — to crush
  3. dip — to sink
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — the sport
  6. degree — from a university
  7. branch — a division
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a ring
  10. suit — in cards
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. degree — an amount
  14. present — the time now
  15. degree — temperature
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — there
  19. suit — to fit
  20. tear — from crying
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — to rip
  24. suit — clothes

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