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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: wake · pit · plane · arm · key · branch · pop · rest

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. key — the most important part
  4. pop — music
  5. rest — a break
  6. plane — a tool
  7. key — for a lock
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pit — in a race
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. branch — a division
  15. pop — soda
  16. rest — what's left
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wake — a trail
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pop — to visit
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. plane — in geometry

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