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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: capital · mate · branch · chest · bass · hide · staff · leaves

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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. branch — of a bank
  2. capital — a city
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. staff — employees
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mate — to breed
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. staff — employees
  11. chest — a box
  12. bass — the fish
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mate — a partner
  15. chest — of your body
  16. branch — a division
  17. bass — low music
  18. capital — money
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. staff — a stick
  22. mate — a friend
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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