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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: key · branch · rush · spell · sharp · row · capital · mine

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. rush — hurry
  3. mine — for digging
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. key — the most important part
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. spell — a short time
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. sharp — clever
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. spell — letters
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. key — in music
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. key — for a lock
  17. spell — magic
  18. capital — money
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. capital — a city
  21. branch — a division
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — to paddle
  24. mine — belonging to me

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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