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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. branch — a division
  3. staff — employees
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. mug — a cup
  6. last — final
  7. bear — the animal
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — for sport
  10. last — to go on
  11. mug — a face
  12. staff — a stick
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. key — for a lock
  16. staff — employees
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. key — the most important part
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bear — the animal
  21. key — in music
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. last — finally
  24. field — farmland

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