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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: rush · dip · toast · branch · squash · face · mouse · bound

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. squash — to crush
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bound — obliged
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bound — tied together
  13. squash — the sport
  14. rush — hurry
  15. branch — a division
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. bound — certain
  18. face — part of the head
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. face — to confront
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. toast — bread

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