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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: spring · suit · squash · mate · branch · cue · saw · board

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. squash — to crush
  4. suit — clothes
  5. cue — a signal
  6. spring — the season
  7. cue — a hint
  8. suit — in cards
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. branch — a division
  11. squash — the sport
  12. mate — to breed
  13. spring — a coil
  14. saw — the tool
  15. spring — of water
  16. saw — the tool
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. cue — for pool
  19. mate — a partner
  20. board — to get on
  21. mate — a friend
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — a committee

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