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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: cell · squash · pass · board · fan · deal · wake · branch

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. squash — the sport
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cell — in biology
  9. squash — to crush
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. board — to get on
  13. wake — a trail
  14. board — a committee
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. deal — to handle
  18. cell — a phone
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. pass — a permit
  24. cell — in a prison

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