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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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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 · rush · last · squash · pound · calf · leaves · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. last — finally
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. squash — to crush
  7. chest — of your body
  8. rush — hurry
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. pound — a weight
  13. branch — a division
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. chest — a box
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. squash — the sport
  19. last — final
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. last — to go on

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