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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: bay · prune · branch · squash · chip · rash · deal · lean

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. prune — to trim
  3. branch — a division
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. lean — thin
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. rash — a series
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. chip — for betting
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. rash — hasty
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. squash — to crush
  22. deal — to handle
  23. chip — to eat
  24. squash — the vegetable

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