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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. key — for a lock
  3. rest — a break
  4. fork — in a road
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — a division
  7. key — in music
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. lean — thin
  12. charge — in control
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — to play on
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. key — the most important part
  20. wake — a trail
  21. charge — electricity
  22. lean — to bend
  23. charge — a price
  24. rest — what's left

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