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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: coach · key · sharp · ground · branch · land · snap · rush

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. land — ground
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. ground — the earth
  5. key — for a lock
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. key — the most important part
  8. ground — crushed
  9. key — in music
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. land — a country
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. ground — a position
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. branch — a division
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. land — to come down
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rush — hurry
  21. sharp — clever
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to click
  24. rush — to hurry

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