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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: hide · branch · staff · march · pound · fine · wake · key

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  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. staff — a stick
  2. key — the most important part
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. staff — employees
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. wake — a trail
  14. fine — high quality
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. fine — all right
  18. staff — employees
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. branch — a division
  21. key — for a lock
  22. pound — a weight
  23. march — the month
  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