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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — high quality
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. fine — all right
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. branch — a division
  11. capital — a city
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. capital — money
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rule — government
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rule — a law
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — shares
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. stock — goods
  24. rule — to rule out

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