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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: lie · chip · wax · branch · bear · dip · capital · rash

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. rash — a series
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — to grow
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. branch — a division
  9. chip — to eat
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. chip — for betting
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. lie — to recline
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. rash — hasty
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. chip — in a computer

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