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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. key — the most important part
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. file — a line of people
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. mate — a partner
  10. can — a tin
  11. file — a tool
  12. file — a document
  13. key — in music
  14. can — to be able to
  15. key — for a lock
  16. can — a tin
  17. wind — moving air
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. mate — a friend
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mate — to breed

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