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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: branch · kick · hand · jam · chair · snap · key · rash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. key — in music
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. key — the most important part
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. key — for a lock
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. branch — a division
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. snap — to click
  19. rash — hasty
  20. kick — in football
  21. chair — a leader
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. hand — help
  24. chair — a professorship

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