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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 120 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: squash · bear · kid · track · spring · branch · leaves · object

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bear — the animal
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. object — to protest
  5. squash — to crush
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. object — a thing
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bear — the animal
  11. track — a path
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. spring — the season
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. spring — a coil
  16. kid — child
  17. object — an aim
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. kid — to tease
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. track — a song
  23. squash — the sport
  24. track — to keep track

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