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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stem — to come from
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. branch — a division
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — to play on
  12. pound — a weight
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — electricity
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. swing — music
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. charge — in control

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