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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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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 · nail · branch · coach · spring · fine · kick · stand

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. kick — in football
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. fine — all right
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. branch — a division
  9. stand — to bear
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. key — for a lock
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. spring — of water
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fine — high quality
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — a coil
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. key — in music

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