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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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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: nail · bay · clip · hand · rock · key · branch · cabinet

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. clip — for paper
  3. hand — in cards
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. branch — a division
  7. clip — a video
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. hand — help
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. clip — to cut
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. key — the most important part
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rock — a stone
  19. key — for a lock
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. key — in music
  23. rock — music
  24. branch — of a bank

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