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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: branch · spring · bowl · staff · bore · key · arm · saw

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. spring — the season
  3. staff — a stick
  4. saw — the tool
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. spring — of water
  7. bore — to drill
  8. staff — employees
  9. branch — a division
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bore — to tire
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. key — the most important part
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. staff — employees
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. spring — a coil
  23. key — for a lock
  24. saw — the tool

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