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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.

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: bear · squash · craft · saw · ruler · branch · face · hand

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. hand — help
  3. branch — a division
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. squash — to crush
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — part of the head
  8. craft — a skill
  9. hand — in cards
  10. face — to confront
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bear — the animal
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bear — the animal
  17. craft — boats
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. saw — the tool
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. hand — part of the body

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