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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.

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: ball · prune · bear · squash · branch · mouse · craft · rest

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. prune — to trim
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. ball — a dance
  6. craft — boats
  7. branch — a division
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. ball — a great time
  11. rest — what's left
  12. squash — the sport
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bear — the animal
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bear — the animal
  22. squash — to crush
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. ball — a round shape

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