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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 116 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. squash — to crush
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. present — the time now
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. squash — the sport
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. present — there
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — in music
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. branch — a division
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stand — to bear
  22. present — a gift
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. squash — the vegetable

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