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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 120 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
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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 · nail · cap · branch · saw · staff · bay · tube

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  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. cap — of ice
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. staff — employees
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. swing — in golf
  7. tube — the underground
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. branch — a division
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. cap — a lid
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. swing — to play on
  15. staff — employees
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. swing — music
  19. saw — the tool
  20. staff — a stick
  21. saw — the tool
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  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