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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.

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: leaves · cap · nail · tube · stick · staff · calf · branch

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a hat
  8. branch — a division
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. staff — employees
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. staff — employees
  15. cap — a lid
  16. tube — a container
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. staff — a stick
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. tube — the underground
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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