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

Word bank: key · rule · roll · lean · fan · branch · wake · season

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. season — of the year
  3. rule — a law
  4. roll — a list
  5. key — in music
  6. rule — government
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. season — in sport
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. key — for a lock
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. key — the most important part
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. roll — a cake
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to bend
  22. wake — a trail
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. wake — before a funeral

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