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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
468
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: staff · branch · jam · spell · craft · rash · march · squash

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. branch — a division
  3. spell — letters
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. squash — the sport
  6. staff — a stick
  7. march — music
  8. rash — hasty
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. rash — a series
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. craft — a skill
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. squash — to crush
  16. craft — boats
  17. march — the month
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — a short time

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