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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: calf · dip · squash · bore · cue · lean · branch · land

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. land — a country
  5. branch — a division
  6. squash — the sport
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. dip — to sink
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. cue — for pool
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. lean — to bend
  16. land — ground
  17. bore — to tire
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bore — to drill
  20. cue — a hint
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — thin
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. squash — to crush

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