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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: nail · safe · hide · sharp · swing · cap · bass · branch

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. cap — of ice
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. swing — music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — low music
  13. swing — in golf
  14. cap — a lid
  15. branch — a division
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. swing — to play on
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bass — the fish
  23. cap — a hat
  24. hide — to keep secret

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