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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: lie · bore · deal · wind · branch · jam · key · nail

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. branch — a division
  5. wind — moving air
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. key — the most important part
  16. deal — to handle
  17. key — for a lock
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bore — to tire
  21. wind — moving air
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bore — to drill
  24. key — in music

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