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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. staff — a stick
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. key — in music
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. branch — a division
  7. key — for a lock
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. wind — moving air
  11. key — the most important part
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. race — humankind
  15. file — a document
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. staff — employees
  18. file — a tool
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — the arms race
  21. pass — a permit
  22. wind — moving air
  23. foot — a measure
  24. staff — employees

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