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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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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: object · key · clip · suit · cap · season · bore · branch

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. clip — for paper
  4. season — of the year
  5. clip — to cut
  6. branch — a division
  7. season — in sport
  8. suit — to fit
  9. key — the most important part
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bore — to tire
  12. suit — in cards
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. cap — a lid
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. suit — clothes
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — an aim
  19. clip — a video
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — in music
  22. object — to protest
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bore — to drill

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