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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: sharp · mark · key · season · bore · shower · lash · branch

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. branch — a division
  3. key — the most important part
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. key — for a lock
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — to tire
  14. shower — to wash
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — a trace
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. season — of the year
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. sharp — clever
  22. key — in music
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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