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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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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: chip · row · board · branch · tear · last · bay · key

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. branch — of a tree
  2. last — to go on
  3. tear — from crying
  4. branch — a division
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. tear — from crying
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — a line
  10. board — a committee
  11. last — finally
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. row — to paddle
  16. key — the most important part
  17. board — to get on
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. last — final
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — to eat
  22. tear — to rip
  23. board — a flat piece
  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