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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. lie — to recline
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. snap — to click
  5. capital — a city
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. capital — money
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. season — of the year
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. rash — a series
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rash — hasty
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. saw — the tool
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. saw — the tool
  23. foot — a measure
  24. branch — a division

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