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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. last — finally
  3. key — in music
  4. last — final
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bank — for money
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. last — to go on
  16. bank — of a river
  17. key — the most important part
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cell — in biology
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. branch — a division
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. key — for a lock
  24. calf — a young animal

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