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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: branch · leaves · craft · key · face · bound · last · staff

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. staff — a stick
  3. face — to confront
  4. last — finally
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bound — obliged
  7. face — part of the head
  8. staff — employees
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bound — certain
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. branch — a division
  14. key — in music
  15. face — to point toward
  16. craft — a skill
  17. key — for a lock
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. last — to go on
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. key — the most important part
  22. last — final
  23. bound — tied together
  24. staff — employees

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