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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 120 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 · pass · bat · branch · fan · lie · bark · can

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. can — a tin
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. staff — a stick
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pass — a permit
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bat — the animal
  17. branch — a division
  18. can — a tin
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. can — to be able to
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. staff — employees
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bat — for baseball

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