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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: fan · chest · race · can · cap · hand · pass · branch

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. pass — a permit
  3. can — a tin
  4. race — the arms race
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. can — to be able to
  7. race — humankind
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. branch — a division
  11. cap — of ice
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. can — a tin
  14. chest — a box
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. race — a contest
  17. hand — help
  18. chest — of your body
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — a hat
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. chest — of your body

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