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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: wave · branch · rock · kid · lie · coach · squash · jam

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. squash — the sport
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. branch — a division
  13. rock — music
  14. kid — child
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. squash — to crush
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. kid — to tease

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