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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: toast · mouse · deal · rush · charge · branch · patient · key

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. toast — bread
  3. deal — to handle
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rush — hurry
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. key — in music
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. charge — electricity
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. charge — a price
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. charge — in control
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. key — the most important part
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — a division
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. deal — an agreement

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