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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: suit · squash · bark · can · fall · craft · branch · wax

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — to shout
  4. craft — a skill
  5. suit — to fit
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. fall — to drop
  8. suit — clothes
  9. squash — to crush
  10. suit — in cards
  11. can — a tin
  12. fall — to drop
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. squash — the sport
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. can — to be able to
  19. craft — boats
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. can — a tin
  23. branch — a division
  24. bark — of a tree

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