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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: squash · branch · coach · arm · last · toast · pop · wake

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. pop — to visit
  6. last — final
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. pop — soda
  9. last — finally
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. last — to go on
  13. squash — the sport
  14. branch — a division
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pop — music
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. toast — bread
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. arm — part of the body

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