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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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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: saw · cabinet · branch · cap · rush · staff · lie · last

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. staff — employees
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. rush — hurry
  5. last — final
  6. lie — to recline
  7. branch — a division
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. cap — a lid
  13. staff — a stick
  14. cap — of ice
  15. saw — the tool
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. last — finally
  22. cap — a hat
  23. staff — employees
  24. cabinet — ministers

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