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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 124 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  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 — money
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to sink
  5. capital — a city
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cap — a hat
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. toast — bread
  15. cap — of ice
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — a division
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bat — the animal
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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