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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. capital — a city
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. fall — the season
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. fall — to drop
  7. chest — a box
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — of the year
  10. ball — a dance
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. rush — hurry
  13. season — in sport
  14. chest — of your body
  15. fall — to drop
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. branch — a division
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. capital — money
  22. ball — a great time
  23. rush — to hurry
  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