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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: wind · mug · court · rest · deal · branch · squash · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. squash — the sport
  3. branch — a division
  4. mug — to rob
  5. court — for sport
  6. wind — moving air
  7. mug — a cup
  8. court — of law
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. deal — to handle
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. mug — a face
  18. squash — to crush
  19. wind — moving air
  20. court — of a king
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. rest — what's left
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. rest — a break

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