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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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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. staff — employees
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. branch — a division
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. staff — a stick
  10. rock — a stone
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. capital — a city
  13. land — ground
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. capital — money
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rock — music
  19. land — to come down
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. land — a country
  23. staff — employees
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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