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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: branch · bat · cell · hide · safe · cap · fan · band

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. band — a music group
  8. bat — the animal
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. band — a ring
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. cell — a phone
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. cap — of ice
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. branch — a division
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. cell — in biology
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cell — in a prison

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