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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. key — in music
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bound — certain
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. board — to get on
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. board — a committee
  16. content — happy
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. content — the amount
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bound — obliged
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bound — tied together

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