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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.

Make a worksheet

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: file · straw · game · bark · branch · key · scale · wave

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. file — a document
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — a division
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a tool
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — a match
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bark — to shout
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — in music
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. scale — in music
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. scale — size or range
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. key — the most important part

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