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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 116 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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — the most important part
  6. last — finally
  7. rest — a break
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. mug — a cup
  10. wax — to grow
  11. key — in music
  12. mug — to rob
  13. chip — to eat
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. rest — what's left
  16. hand — help
  17. last — final
  18. last — to go on
  19. hand — in cards
  20. rest — what's left
  21. chip — for betting
  22. branch — a division
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. mug — a face

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