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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: kid · branch · cue · key · object · prune · dip · fall

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. key — in music
  3. cue — a hint
  4. object — a thing
  5. key — for a lock
  6. fall — to drop
  7. cue — for pool
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. fall — the season
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — to tease
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. dip — to sink
  15. kid — child
  16. cue — a signal
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. fall — to drop
  19. object — an aim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. object — to protest
  22. prune — to trim
  23. key — the most important part
  24. prune — the fruit

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