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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 · track · squash · saw · present · hand · spell · object

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. branch — a division
  8. squash — to crush
  9. track — to keep track
  10. saw — the tool
  11. present — there
  12. track — a path
  13. hand — help
  14. spell — letters
  15. present — the time now
  16. hand — in cards
  17. squash — the sport
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — a thing
  20. object — to protest
  21. saw — the tool
  22. present — a gift
  23. spell — magic
  24. track — a song

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