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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 124 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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. key — for a lock
  3. branch — a division
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bear — the animal
  6. club — for golf
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. season — in sport
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bear — the animal
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. key — the most important part
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. wound — an injury
  19. season — of the year
  20. face — to point toward
  21. key — in music
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to confront

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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