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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: cabinet · toast · rash · swing · ball · wound · mate · branch

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. mate — a partner
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mate — to breed
  5. swing — in golf
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. swing — music
  8. wound — an injury
  9. ball — a great time
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. ball — a dance
  12. mate — a friend
  13. rash — hasty
  14. toast — bread
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. wound — an injury
  21. swing — to play on
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. branch — a division

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