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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 116 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: fine · branch · nail · key · stem · degree · rash · file

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rash — a series
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rash — hasty
  6. file — a line of people
  7. fine — all right
  8. degree — temperature
  9. file — a tool
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. fine — high quality
  12. degree — from a university
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. file — a document
  15. degree — an amount
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. branch — a division
  18. stem — to come from
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. key — the most important part
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. key — in music
  24. nail — on a finger

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