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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.

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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: season · wind · rest · branch · plane · chair · fork · key

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. plane — a tool
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. key — for a lock
  5. branch — a division
  6. key — the most important part
  7. wind — moving air
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. rest — a break
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. wind — moving air
  15. season — of the year
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. rest — what's left
  18. key — in music
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. fork — in a road
  21. season — in sport
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. chair — a leader
  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