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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: bark · calf · key · squash · date · branch · plane · bound

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bound — obliged
  6. date — the fruit
  7. plane — a tool
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bound — certain
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — the most important part
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bark — to shout
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. branch — a division
  20. squash — the sport
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bound — tied together
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. key — in music

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