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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mine · spell · leaves · pitcher · nail · squash · cabinet · branch

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. spell — magic
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. squash — the sport
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. branch — a division
  18. mine — for digging
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. squash — to crush
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — a short time
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. cabinet — ministers

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