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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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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: branch · clip · ruler · wind · firm · pound · roll · squash

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. wind — moving air
  3. roll — a cake
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pound — a weight
  9. wind — moving air
  10. firm — steady
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. clip — for paper
  15. firm — decided
  16. branch — a division
  17. firm — a company
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. squash — the sport
  20. clip — a video
  21. roll — a list
  22. squash — to crush
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. clip — to cut

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