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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.

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: temple · season · nail · branch · deal · drill · swing · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  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. cap — a hat
  2. season — in sport
  3. swing — music
  4. season — of the year
  5. drill — the tool
  6. cap — of ice
  7. deal — to handle
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — a division
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. swing — to play on
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. swing — in golf
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. drill — a practice
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. drill — army training
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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