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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bank — of a river
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. chip — to eat
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bank — for money
  11. capital — a city
  12. chip — for betting
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. branch — a division
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. stem — to come from
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. lie — to recline
  21. capital — money
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bank — for money
  24. branch — of a tree

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