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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. capital — money
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. capital — a city
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. track — a path
  7. wind — moving air
  8. track — to keep track
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bank — of a river
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. track — a song
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. branch — a division
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. mug — a face
  17. bank — for money
  18. mug — to rob
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bank — for money
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. rush — hurry
  24. wind — moving air

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