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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. spell — a short time
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. file — a line of people
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. key — in music
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. spell — letters
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — for a lock
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. file — a tool
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. file — a document
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. spell — magic
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. rest — what's left
  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