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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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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 · nail · leaves · staff · tube · bank · rule · hand

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. staff — a stick
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. staff — employees
  7. bank — for money
  8. rule — a law
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. hand — in cards
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bank — of a river
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bank — for money
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. staff — employees
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. tube — a container
  22. rule — government
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. branch — a division

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