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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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 · key · cold · fine · ruler · bound · straw · last

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. last — to go on
  3. key — in music
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. key — for a lock
  6. cold — not warm
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. last — finally
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — obliged
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bound — certain
  19. key — the most important part
  20. branch — a division
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. cold — an illness
  23. fine — all right
  24. last — final

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