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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · cap · tear · squash · charge · temple · date · board

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. branch — a division
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a hat
  6. charge — a price
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — to get on
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. date — the fruit
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. squash — the sport
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — electricity
  17. cap — a lid
  18. tear — from crying
  19. squash — to crush
  20. board — a committee
  21. tear — from crying
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. tear — to rip

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