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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: pop · lie · staff · key · branch · bank · stick · rest

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. staff — a stick
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rest — what's left
  6. lie — to recline
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. staff — employees
  12. bank — for money
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pop — soda
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. key — in music
  18. staff — employees
  19. bank — for money
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bank — of a river
  22. branch — a division
  23. key — for a lock
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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