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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: bore · squash · band · key · bulb · season · chair · branch

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. chair — a leader
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. key — the most important part
  9. band — a music group
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. squash — the sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — to drill
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. branch — a division
  18. bulb — for light
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. key — in music
  21. bulb — for light
  22. season — in sport
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. band — a ring

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