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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. key — for a lock
  10. race — the arms race
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. race — humankind
  14. race — a contest
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. key — in music
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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