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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 116 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: staff · clip · bear · cabinet · fan · craft · firm · branch

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. firm — steady
  3. clip — to cut
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. firm — decided
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bear — the animal
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. clip — a video
  15. staff — a stick
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. firm — a company
  18. craft — a skill
  19. clip — for paper
  20. staff — employees
  21. craft — boats
  22. branch — a division
  23. bear — to put up with
  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