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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: branch · lie · track · bass · rest · mouse · rash · capital

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — a city
  4. track — a path
  5. capital — money
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rest — what's left
  9. track — to keep track
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — a division
  12. rash — a series
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — low music
  15. rash — hasty
  16. track — a song
  17. rest — a break
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. mouse — the animal
  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