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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bank — for money
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. branch — a division
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. key — in music
  16. bank — for money
  17. bat — the animal
  18. stand — to bear
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — a price
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bank — of a river
  24. charge — electricity

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