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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 116 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: wake · pass · stock · rash · can · cabinet · branch · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — a series
  5. pass — a permit
  6. branch — a division
  7. wake — a trail
  8. can — a tin
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. stock — shares
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. squash — the sport
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stock — goods
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. rash — hasty
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. cabinet — ministers

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