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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 120 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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pop — soda
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wind — moving air
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. key — the most important part
  11. lean — thin
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. lean — to bend
  14. branch — a division
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. pop — to visit
  17. key — in music
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pop — music
  24. deal — a big deal

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