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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.

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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: staff · nail · cap · saw · branch · stem · board · track

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. cap — a lid
  3. track — a song
  4. track — a path
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. branch — a division
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. cap — a hat
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. board — to get on
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. cap — of ice
  21. track — to keep track
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. board — a committee
  24. staff — employees

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