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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 · bat · fall · arm · can · rock · last · cap

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. cap — a lid
  5. can — to be able to
  6. last — final
  7. fall — the season
  8. last — finally
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. rock — a stone
  14. can — a tin
  15. last — to go on
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. can — a tin
  19. fall — to drop
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. cap — of ice
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — music
  24. arm — part of the body

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