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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: spell · rock · lie · squash · branch · roll · wave · cabinet

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. rock — a stone
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. spell — letters
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. branch — a division
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. rock — music
  10. roll — a list
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — the sport
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. spell — a short time
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. roll — a cake
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. spell — magic
  24. roll — on a roll

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