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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. hand — help
  3. key — the most important part
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. key — in music
  6. lie — to recline
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. firm — decided
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. tear — from crying
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. tear — to rip
  14. key — for a lock
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — steady
  18. tear — from crying
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. hand — in cards
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. branch — a division
  24. pitcher — a jug

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