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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. key — in music
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. land — ground
  6. key — for a lock
  7. branch — a division
  8. key — the most important part
  9. net — after costs
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. land — a country
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. net — in sport
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — in control
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. deal — to handle
  20. land — to come down
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. net — for catching
  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