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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.

Make a worksheet

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: branch · stick · nail · club · clip · hide · bass · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. club — for golf
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. club — for dancing
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bass — the fish
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mug — to rob
  13. clip — to cut
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. mug — a face
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. branch — a division
  20. club — a group
  21. bass — low music
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. clip — a video
  24. branch — of a bank

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