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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 116 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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. root — of a word
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. root — of a plant
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. cold — not warm
  12. suit — in cards
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. capital — money
  16. root — the cause
  17. cold — an illness
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. suit — clothes
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bear — the animal
  22. branch — a division
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. wave — with your hand

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