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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: chest · bay · rest · rock · branch · rule · key · straw

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — in music
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. branch — a division
  10. chest — of your body
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rule — government
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rock — a stone
  17. chest — a box
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. chest — of your body
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. rest — a break
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. rock — music

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