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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: dip · charge · mug · present · spring · file · branch · key

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. spring — a coil
  3. file — a line of people
  4. present — a gift
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — a cup
  9. spring — of water
  10. file — a tool
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — to sink
  13. key — in music
  14. file — a document
  15. charge — a price
  16. mug — to rob
  17. key — for a lock
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — there
  21. charge — in control
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. charge — electricity
  24. spring — the season

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