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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: suit · can · branch · pass · squash · pound · snap · tube

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. squash — the sport
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. squash — to crush
  6. pound — a weight
  7. can — to be able to
  8. suit — to fit
  9. can — a tin
  10. snap — to click
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. branch — a division
  16. tube — a container
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. can — a tin
  19. suit — in cards
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. suit — clothes
  22. tube — the underground
  23. pass — a permit
  24. branch — of a bank

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