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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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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: nail · suit · straw · capital · bank · bass · branch · foot

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. capital — a city
  6. suit — clothes
  7. branch — a division
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bass — the fish
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. suit — to fit
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bass — low music
  16. bank — for money
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. capital — money
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bank — for money
  24. nail — for a hammer

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