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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bulb · lean · field · branch · mate · wake · bay · capital

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. field — a subject
  3. mate — a friend
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — thin
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. field — for sport
  10. wake — a trail
  11. field — farmland
  12. capital — money
  13. branch — a division
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mate — a partner
  24. branch — of a bank

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