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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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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 · wind · bay · rest · cue · branch · file · hide

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. key — the most important part
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. file — a document
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. file — a tool
  10. cue — a hint
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rest — a break
  13. file — a line of people
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. wind — moving air
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. key — for a lock
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cue — a signal
  22. key — in music
  23. branch — a division
  24. rest — what's left

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