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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. current — of water
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bank — for money
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. stem — to come from
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. current — electric
  13. branch — a division
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. capital — money
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. current — happening now

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