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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. lean — thin
  6. ground — the earth
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bank — for money
  10. wind — moving air
  11. march — the month
  12. branch — a division
  13. capital — a city
  14. bank — for money
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lean — to bend
  17. capital — money
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. ground — a position
  20. bank — of a river
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. ground — crushed
  24. wind — to turn a key

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