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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
468
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: squash · fork · spell · chest · craft · branch · band · plane

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. spell — a short time
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. band — a ring
  8. squash — the sport
  9. fork — in a road
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. chest — of your body
  12. craft — a skill
  13. spell — letters
  14. squash — to crush
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. branch — a division
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. craft — boats
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. chest — a box
  22. spell — magic
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. chest — of your body

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