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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. can — a tin
  8. capital — money
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pitch — completely
  12. capital — a city
  13. can — to be able to
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. plane — a tool
  17. branch — a division
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. can — a tin
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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