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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 120 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
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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: wave · land · bay · coach · calf · pop · branch · capital

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. land — ground
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. land — to come down
  6. capital — a city
  7. branch — a division
  8. pop — to visit
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. land — a country
  11. pop — soda
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. capital — money
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pop — music
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. coach — a trainer

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