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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: nail · branch · capital · rule · mug · calf · band · swing

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. swing — in golf
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. capital — a city
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rule — a law
  13. swing — music
  14. mug — a face
  15. swing — to play on
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. band — a ring
  19. rule — government
  20. capital — money
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — to rob

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