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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: bore · spell · branch · pit · trunk · key · season · saw

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bore — to tire
  3. key — for a lock
  4. spell — a short time
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. key — in music
  9. key — the most important part
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. spell — magic
  14. saw — the tool
  15. season — in sport
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bore — to drill
  19. spell — letters
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. pit — a hole
  22. season — of the year
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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