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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 · fan · spell · mug · squash · swing · ground · face

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  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. squash — the vegetable
  2. branch — a division
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — crushed
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — to play on
  9. mug — a face
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. face — to point toward
  12. spell — magic
  13. mug — to rob
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — letters
  17. face — part of the head
  18. mug — a cup
  19. ground — the earth
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. squash — the sport
  22. swing — in golf
  23. face — to confront
  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