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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.

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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: squash · snap · perch · nail · rest · craft · season · branch

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. squash — the sport
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rest — a break
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. squash — to crush
  17. branch — a division
  18. snap — to click
  19. season — of the year
  20. rest — what's left
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rest — what's left
  23. perch — the fish
  24. craft — boats

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