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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: racket · straw · leaves · nail · march · branch · squash · ruler

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. march — the month
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. march — music
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. march — the month
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. squash — the sport
  24. racket — for tennis

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