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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: hide · branch · trunk · fan · ruler · kid · staff · clip

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. staff — a stick
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. staff — employees
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. kid — to tease
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. kid — child
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. staff — employees
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — a video
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. branch — a division
  22. clip — for paper
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. hide — to keep secret

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