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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
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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: mate · kick · suit · squash · fine · branch · perch · last

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. perch — the fish
  3. suit — in cards
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. mate — to breed
  6. squash — to crush
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mate — a partner
  9. kick — in football
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. suit — to fit
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. squash — the sport
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. last — to go on
  18. suit — clothes
  19. last — finally
  20. branch — a division
  21. fine — all right
  22. last — final
  23. mate — a friend
  24. fine — high quality

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