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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: can · branch · fall · ground · key · cell · bore · wave

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. fall — to drop
  3. ground — crushed
  4. key — in music
  5. can — a tin
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. cell — a phone
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. branch — a division
  11. key — the most important part
  12. cell — in biology
  13. bore — to tire
  14. fall — the season
  15. bore — to drill
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. ground — a position
  20. key — for a lock
  21. can — a tin
  22. ground — the earth
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. can — to be able to

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