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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: branch · toast · snap · present · fan · craft · lie · cap

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cap — a hat
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. present — there
  5. craft — boats
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. present — a gift
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. branch — a division
  12. lie — to recline
  13. cap — of ice
  14. toast — bread
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. cap — a lid
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. craft — a skill
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. snap — to click
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. present — the time now
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. fan — to cool the air

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