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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bound — obliged
  4. suit — in cards
  5. fall — the season
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. fall — to drop
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. capital — money
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. capital — a city
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. dip — to sink
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. suit — to fit
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — tied together
  24. fall — to drop

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