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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 112 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: branch · key · cue · hand · leaves · stand · cell · wind

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. key — in music
  4. hand — in cards
  5. branch — a division
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. cell — a phone
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. key — the most important part
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. cue — for pool
  16. stand — to bear
  17. key — for a lock
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — a signal
  24. hand — help

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