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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 116 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.

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: key · lie · branch · bore · degree · race · spring · court

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. branch — a division
  3. race — humankind
  4. key — in music
  5. degree — from a university
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. court — of a king
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. key — the most important part
  11. lie — to recline
  12. key — for a lock
  13. spring — the season
  14. degree — an amount
  15. race — a contest
  16. spring — a coil
  17. degree — temperature
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — to tire
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. court — for sport
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. court — of law

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