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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. swing — to play on
  3. branch — a division
  4. key — the most important part
  5. stand — to bear
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. kid — to tease
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — high quality
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. key — in music
  13. fine — all right
  14. spell — a short time
  15. kid — child
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — music
  19. spell — magic
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. spell — letters
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. wave — of the sea

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