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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: chest · branch · current · leaves · deal · date · key · mug

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. mug — to rob
  3. chest — of your body
  4. current — of water
  5. mug — a face
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. mug — a cup
  8. date — the fruit
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. chest — of your body
  12. key — for a lock
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. chest — a box
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. current — electric
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. deal — to handle
  19. key — the most important part
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — a division
  22. current — happening now
  23. key — in music
  24. deal — a big deal

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