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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 116 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: current · branch · tear · bore · cap · capital · rash · mate

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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. cap — a lid
  4. bore — to tire
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — to breed
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. mate — a friend
  10. current — of water
  11. current — electric
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bore — to drill
  15. current — happening now
  16. tear — from crying
  17. rash — hasty
  18. branch — a division
  19. cap — of ice
  20. tear — to rip
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. tear — from crying
  23. rash — a series
  24. capital — money

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