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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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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: stick · perch · hand · bowl · season · wind · key · branch

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. branch — a division
  6. season — of the year
  7. hand — help
  8. season — in sport
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. perch — the fish
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. hand — in cards

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