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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: can · season · bank · cap · staff · swing · straw · arm

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. season — in sport
  3. bank — for money
  4. cap — of ice
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. staff — employees
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. can — to be able to
  14. cap — a lid
  15. swing — to play on
  16. season — of the year
  17. staff — a stick
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bank — for money
  22. staff — employees
  23. bank — of a river
  24. swing — music

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