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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 a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. branch — a division
  5. bank — of a river
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. staff — employees
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. staff — employees
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. stand — to bear
  14. object — an aim
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. object — to protest
  17. staff — a stick
  18. wound — an injury
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. key — in music
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. object — a thing

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