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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — ground
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. spell — letters
  6. staff — a stick
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. key — for a lock
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. land — a country
  14. key — the most important part
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. toast — bread
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. key — in music
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a line
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — magic

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