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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. capital — a city
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. ground — a position
  5. mug — a cup
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. lean — to bend
  9. current — happening now
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. ground — the earth
  13. mug — a face
  14. capital — money
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. lean — thin
  17. ground — crushed
  18. branch — a division
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. current — electric
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mug — to rob
  23. current — of water
  24. hide — animal skin

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