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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 116 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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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: band · firm · ruler · nail · branch · coach · stick · staff

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. firm — steady
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. staff — employees
  7. firm — decided
  8. staff — employees
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. firm — a company
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. branch — a division
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. band — a music group
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. band — a ring

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