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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: key · scale · dip · branch · stick · roll · file · lash

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. key — for a lock
  4. roll — a list
  5. file — a document
  6. key — in music
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. key — the most important part
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. scale — in music
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. roll — a cake
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. dip — to sink
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. file — a line of people
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. file — a tool
  24. scale — size or range

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