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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. key — for a lock
  3. staff — employees
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. key — in music
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. key — the most important part
  12. staff — a stick
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. kick — in football
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. sharp — clever
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. staff — employees
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. branch — of a bank

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