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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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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: season · prune · squash · mate · swing · branch · rush · calf

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. swing — in golf
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. mate — a partner
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. swing — to play on
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. prune — to trim
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. season — of the year
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. swing — music
  14. squash — to crush
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. squash — the sport
  19. season — in sport
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. branch — a division
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mate — to breed
  24. season — to add flavour

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