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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. key — for a lock
  3. face — to confront
  4. branch — a division
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bound — tied together
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. face — part of the head
  18. key — in music
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bound — certain
  21. key — the most important part
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rest — what's left

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