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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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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: fine · craft · leaves · pound · hand · key · branch · dip

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. key — the most important part
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. craft — boats
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. hand — help
  11. key — for a lock
  12. hand — in cards
  13. fine — all right
  14. craft — a skill
  15. branch — a division
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. key — in music
  21. dip — to sink
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. dip — to dunk

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