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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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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: pit · branch · land · lash · present · file · key · chair

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. key — for a lock
  3. present — there
  4. file — a document
  5. present — the time now
  6. land — ground
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — a country
  10. file — a tool
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. chair — a leader
  17. pit — in a race
  18. present — a gift
  19. branch — a division
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — in music
  22. pit — a hole
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. file — a line of people

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