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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. key — the most important part
  3. prune — to trim
  4. key — for a lock
  5. branch — a division
  6. squash — the sport
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — electricity
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. prune — to trim
  17. charge — a price
  18. squash — to crush
  19. key — in music
  20. lean — to bend
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lean — thin

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