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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: stick · cold · key · branch · fine · bay · cap · stem

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. fine — high quality
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. key — the most important part
  9. branch — a division
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. key — for a lock
  16. stem — to come from
  17. fine — all right
  18. key — in music
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cold — an illness
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. cap — a hat

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