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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: stand · key · bear · field · kick · wake · branch · rush

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bear — the animal
  3. key — for a lock
  4. branch — a division
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. rush — hurry
  7. key — in music
  8. stand — to bear
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. field — for sport
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. field — a subject
  19. wake — a trail
  20. field — farmland
  21. kick — in football
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. key — the most important part

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