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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.

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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: wind · lie · capital · chip · branch · kid · bowl · lean

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  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. lie — to recline
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. wind — moving air
  10. capital — money
  11. wind — moving air
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. branch — a division
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. capital — a city
  18. kid — to tease
  19. chip — to eat
  20. kid — child
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. branch — of a tree
  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