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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: branch · squash · jam · hide · lean · calf · rash · saw

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. rash — a series
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lean — thin
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rash — hasty
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lean — to bend
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — a division
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the sport
  24. calf — a young 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