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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.

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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: leaves · cap · stand · branch · ruler · snap · nail · chest

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — to bear
  4. chest — a box
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cap — a hat
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. snap — to click
  15. chest — of your body
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. chest — of your body
  21. cap — a lid
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cap — of ice
  24. branch — of a tree

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