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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. capital — money
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — decided
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. mate — a partner
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mate — to breed
  9. fall — to drop
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. fall — the season
  14. mate — a friend
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. firm — a company
  17. capital — a city
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — 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