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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. chest — a box
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — a division
  10. chest — of your body
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. staff — employees
  13. snap — to click
  14. can — a tin
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. can — to be able to
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. staff — a stick
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. staff — employees
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a music group
  24. chest — of your body

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