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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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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: hand · face · branch · bank · cue · cabinet · last · cap

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  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. branch — of a bank
  2. bank — of a river
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bank — for money
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bank — for money
  8. cap — a hat
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to point toward
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. branch — a division
  13. last — finally
  14. last — to go on
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. face — to confront
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — in cards
  19. cap — a lid
  20. hand — help
  21. last — final
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cue — for pool
  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