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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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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: capital · march · foot · hide · nail · rush · toast · branch

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rush — hurry
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. branch — a division
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. capital — money
  12. toast — bread
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. foot — a measure
  16. capital — a city
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. march — music
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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