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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: fall · board · key · straw · jam · mug · spell · branch

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. spell — magic
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. spell — a short time
  6. board — a committee
  7. mug — a cup
  8. board — to get on
  9. fall — to drop
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. fall — the season
  12. mug — a face
  13. key — the most important part
  14. mug — to rob
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. fall — to drop
  20. branch — a division
  21. key — for a lock
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. spell — letters
  24. branch — of a bank

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