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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 120 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: key · wound · leaves · branch · saw · kick · cell · deal

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. saw — the tool
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cell — a phone
  7. key — in music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. cell — in biology
  10. kick — in football
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — a division
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. key — for a lock
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. deal — to handle

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