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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.

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: staff · leaves · degree · branch · bear · fan · nail · cell

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  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. bear — to put up with
  2. cell — in biology
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. branch — a division
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. cell — a phone
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — temperature
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. staff — a stick
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. staff — employees
  18. degree — from a university
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bear — the animal
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bear — the animal
  23. staff — employees
  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