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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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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: cell · wave · object · branch · craft · rule · squash · racket

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — to protest
  3. cell — in biology
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. craft — boats
  9. rule — a law
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. object — an aim
  12. rule — government
  13. squash — the sport
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. branch — a division
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. craft — a skill
  19. cell — a phone
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. squash — to crush
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. racket — a loud noise

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