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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: nail · bay · staff · trunk · fine · chest · branch · clip

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. clip — to cut
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. clip — a video
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. clip — for paper
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. branch — a division
  12. chest — a box
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. staff — a stick
  18. fine — high quality
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. fine — all right
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. nail — on a finger
  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