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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
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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: wake · pitcher · temple · capital · file · leaves · race · branch

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. file — a line of people
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. race — the arms race
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. capital — money
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. capital — a city
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. file — a document
  17. race — a contest
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. file — a tool
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. wake — a trail
  24. race — humankind

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