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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. branch — a division
  3. capital — money
  4. capital — a city
  5. face — to confront
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. file — a line of people
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — in control
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. firm — decided
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a document
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. firm — steady
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. branch — of a tree

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