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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fork · branch · bore · wave · mug · trunk · squash · mouse

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — to tire
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. mug — a face
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. fork — in a road
  17. mug — a cup
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. branch — a division
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. squash — the vegetable

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