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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. key — for a lock
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a document
  8. rash — a series
  9. fall — the season
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. shower — to wash
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rash — hasty
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. wake — a trail
  16. key — the most important part
  17. file — a line of people
  18. shower — rain
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rush — hurry
  22. key — in music
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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