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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: squash · fork · swing · cap · rest · branch · dip · rash

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rash — a series
  3. squash — the sport
  4. swing — in golf
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. swing — to play on
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. swing — music
  12. squash — to crush
  13. branch — a division
  14. cap — a lid
  15. fork — in a road
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a hat

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