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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. branch — a division
  3. key — in music
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. saw — the tool
  7. charge — electricity
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. face — to confront
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. charge — in control
  12. key — for a lock
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. lean — to bend
  15. face — to point toward
  16. lean — thin
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. face — part of the head
  24. charge — a price

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