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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. bat — the animal
  3. key — for a lock
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — a trail
  6. key — the most important part
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. firm — a company
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bark — to shout
  12. firm — decided
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. branch — a division
  17. firm — steady
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. cabinet — ministers

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