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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: drill · bear · mouse · wave · band · object · capital · branch

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bear — the animal
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bear — the animal
  8. capital — a city
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. object — a thing
  13. band — a music group
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — the tool
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. object — an aim
  20. object — to protest
  21. capital — money
  22. branch — a division
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. band — a rubber band

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