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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: rest · key · branch · calf · clip · club · band · wake

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. clip — to cut
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wake — a trail
  6. club — a group
  7. clip — a video
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. clip — for paper
  11. band — a music group
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. club — for golf
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — in music
  16. band — a ring
  17. club — for dancing
  18. branch — a division
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rest — a break
  22. key — for a lock
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. band — a rubber band

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