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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.

Make a worksheet

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: can · fall · spell · branch · face · kid · key · band

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. key — for a lock
  3. spell — letters
  4. face — to point toward
  5. key — in music
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. can — a tin
  8. key — the most important part
  9. spell — magic
  10. kid — to tease
  11. spell — a short time
  12. can — a tin
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. can — to be able to
  19. fall — to drop
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a ring
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — part of the head
  24. branch — a division

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