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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. capital — a city
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a document
  10. clip — to cut
  11. clip — for paper
  12. clip — a video
  13. can — a tin
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rock — music
  16. branch — a division
  17. file — a tool
  18. can — to be able to
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. can — a tin
  21. capital — money
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. safe — out of danger

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