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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: cell · wind · season · branch · pit · nail · toast · staff

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. branch — a division
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pit — a hole
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. toast — bread
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. wind — moving air
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. cell — a phone
  12. staff — employees
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. wind — moving air
  16. staff — employees
  17. season — in sport
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. cell — in biology
  22. season — of the year
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. staff — a stick

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