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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: branch · saw · wave · root · squash · can · shower · deal

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. saw — the tool
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. squash — to crush
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. can — to be able to
  12. root — the cause
  13. squash — the sport
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. branch — a division
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. shower — rain
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. root — of a word
  22. can — a tin
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. root — of a plant

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