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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: kick · saw · rock · bay · band · stand · squash · branch

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. branch — a division
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the sport
  13. stand — to bear
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. kick — in football
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. rock — music
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rock — a stone
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. band — a ring

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