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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. capital — a city
  3. face — part of the head
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. stand — to bear
  6. face — to point toward
  7. race — a contest
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. branch — a division
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. mine — for digging
  16. race — the arms race
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. race — humankind
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. face — to confront
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. capital — money

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