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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: branch · cap · hide · craft · drill · staff · row · lean

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. cap — of ice
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. craft — a skill
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. drill — the tool
  8. staff — employees
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. craft — boats
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. row — to paddle
  13. drill — a practice
  14. staff — employees
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. cap — a lid
  18. drill — army training
  19. cap — a hat
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. row — a line

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