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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
468
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: key · wave · stem · bear · branch · game · saw · stick

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bear — the animal
  4. game — a match
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. key — in music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bear — the animal
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stem — to come from
  19. branch — a division
  20. saw — the tool
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. stem — a stem cell

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