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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 116 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. hand — help
  4. staff — employees
  5. root — the cause
  6. key — for a lock
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. firm — decided
  10. key — in music
  11. staff — employees
  12. key — the most important part
  13. stand — to bear
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — a trail
  17. staff — a stick
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. firm — steady
  20. hand — in cards
  21. root — of a plant
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. root — of a word
  24. branch — a division

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