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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: roll · lie · craft · branch · squash · racket · rush · trunk

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. lie — to recline
  9. craft — boats
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. squash — the sport
  18. roll — a cake
  19. squash — to crush
  20. craft — a skill
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — a division
  23. roll — a list
  24. racket — for tennis

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