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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 120 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 · key · mate · rest · stand · racket · current · wound

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. branch — a division
  3. rest — a break
  4. key — in music
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mate — a friend
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rest — what's left
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. current — of water
  13. mate — a partner
  14. current — electric
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mate — to breed
  17. wound — an injury
  18. key — the most important part
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. current — happening now
  21. stand — to bear
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. stand — for spectators

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