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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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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: deal · kick · key · chest · toast · branch · spring · stem

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. chest — of your body
  5. toast — bread
  6. key — for a lock
  7. deal — to handle
  8. kick — in football
  9. key — in music
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. key — the most important part
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. spring — of water
  19. chest — a box
  20. spring — the season
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. spring — a coil
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. branch — of a tree

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