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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 116 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: band · fall · coach · branch · kick · key · pitcher · wound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. key — in music
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wound — an injury
  11. band — a music group
  12. wound — an injury
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. branch — a division
  15. band — a ring
  16. key — for a lock
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. key — the most important part
  22. kick — in football
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. kick — with a leg

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