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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: board · deal · squash · bear · branch · trunk · can · hand

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. hand — help
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — in cards
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — to crush
  16. branch — a division
  17. can — a tin
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. board — to get on
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. board — a committee
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bear — the animal

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