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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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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: snap · squash · bank · object · ground · stick · branch · calf

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. branch — a division
  3. ground — the earth
  4. object — a thing
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bank — for money
  7. ground — a position
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. squash — the sport
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bank — for money
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. snap — to click
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bank — of a river
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. object — to protest
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. object — an aim

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