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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 116 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: object · saw · rush · can · branch · pop · squash · chair

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pop — soda
  5. squash — the sport
  6. saw — the tool
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. object — a thing
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. pop — to visit
  11. rush — hurry
  12. object — to protest
  13. can — a tin
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. chair — a leader
  16. squash — to crush
  17. pop — music
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. can — a tin
  20. object — an aim
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. can — to be able to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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