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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: file · deal · object · branch · squash · ball · cap · lean

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — to protest
  4. file — a tool
  5. deal — to handle
  6. object — a thing
  7. ball — a great time
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — thin
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. cap — a hat
  13. ball — a dance
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. squash — to crush
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. file — a line of people
  21. squash — the sport
  22. cap — of ice
  23. branch — a division
  24. file — a document

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