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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.

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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.

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: hide · fork · branch · squash · file · calf · pop · band

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. band — a ring
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — to visit
  10. fork — in a road
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. file — a line of people
  14. band — a music group
  15. file — a tool
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. file — a document
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — the sport
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. pop — music
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. squash — to crush
  24. fork — to eat with

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