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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. bound — obliged
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. branch — a division
  8. bound — certain
  9. craft — boats
  10. bound — tied together
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. key — for a lock
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bark — to shout
  16. last — to go on
  17. key — in music
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bank — of a river
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. last — finally
  24. last — final

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