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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: jam · cap · can · patient · branch · straw · plane · saw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. cap — of ice
  3. plane — a tool
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. saw — the tool
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. can — to be able to
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. can — a tin
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. saw — the tool
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. can — a tin
  20. cap — a hat
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. cap — a lid

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