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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.

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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: pitch · tear · lie · branch · firm · capital · wind · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. tear — to rip
  4. firm — a company
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wind — moving air
  8. firm — steady
  9. branch — a division
  10. capital — a city
  11. capital — money
  12. mug — a face
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. mug — to rob
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. firm — decided
  19. pitch — completely
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. wind — moving air
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. lie — an untruth

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