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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: season · key · track · saw · branch · lash

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. track — a path
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. saw — the tool
  6. key — the most important part
  7. saw — the tool
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. key — in music
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. track — a song
  13. season — in sport
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. track — to keep track
  16. key — for a lock
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — a division

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