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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
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: band · cell · squash · branch · nail · key · stem · sharp

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. sharp — clever
  6. key — the most important part
  7. branch — a division
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. band — a music group
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. squash — the sport
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. band — a ring
  15. cell — in biology
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. squash — to crush
  18. key — in music
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. stem — to come from
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. cell — a phone

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