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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: nail · roll · leaves · bass · fork · wake · branch · key

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bass — the fish
  9. key — for a lock
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. roll — a cake
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bass — low music
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — a division
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. fork — in a road
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. roll — a list
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. key — in music
  24. wake — a trail

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