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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: chest · mark · scale · staff · key · branch · rest · tear

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. branch — a division
  3. scale — in music
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. key — for a lock
  7. mark — a trace
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. chest — of your body
  10. key — the most important part
  11. rest — a break
  12. staff — a stick
  13. tear — to rip
  14. chest — a box
  15. staff — employees
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. tear — from crying
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. key — in music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. chest — of your body
  22. staff — employees
  23. tear — from crying
  24. mark — to pay attention

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