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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. staff — a stick
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. staff — employees
  6. key — the most important part
  7. toast — bread
  8. staff — employees
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bank — for money
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. key — in music
  13. branch — a division
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. bore — to drill
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bank — for money
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bank — of a river
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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