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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bound — obliged
  3. track — a path
  4. staff — employees
  5. track — a song
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. craft — boats
  8. bound — tied together
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bound — certain
  11. track — to keep track
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. chest — of your body
  17. staff — a stick
  18. key — in music
  19. craft — a skill
  20. branch — a division
  21. key — for a lock
  22. staff — employees
  23. chest — a box
  24. chest — of your body

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