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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: arm · clip · rock · squash · mouse · lie · branch · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. lie — to recline
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — the sport
  6. clip — to cut
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rock — a stone
  9. squash — to crush
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. clip — a video
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. wound — an injury
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — a division
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — music
  24. clip — for paper

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