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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 116 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: branch · march · mate · wound · deal · shower · squash · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. deal — to handle
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. firm — steady
  5. march — the month
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. shower — to wash
  8. firm — decided
  9. mate — to breed
  10. squash — the sport
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. branch — a division
  13. march — music
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. wound — an injury
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. shower — rain
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — a partner
  21. squash — to crush
  22. march — the month
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. wound — an injury

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