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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: swing · pass · fan · cap · safe · trunk · branch · cue

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pass — a permit
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. cue — a hint
  8. swing — to play on
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cap — a lid
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. swing — music
  16. cue — for pool
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. swing — in golf
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a hat

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