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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.

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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: branch · face · coach · firm · bulb · mate · drill · key

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. key — for a lock
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to point toward
  7. drill — the tool
  8. mate — to breed
  9. key — the most important part
  10. firm — a company
  11. mate — a partner
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. drill — a practice
  15. firm — decided
  16. mate — a friend
  17. drill — army training
  18. firm — steady
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. key — in music
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. branch — of a bank

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