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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 · squash · net · bore · wound · firm · bulb · swing

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. firm — steady
  3. branch — a division
  4. bore — to tire
  5. net — in sport
  6. firm — a company
  7. wound — an injury
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. squash — to crush
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to drill
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bulb — for light
  21. swing — to play on
  22. firm — decided
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — for catching

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