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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
468
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 · branch · cabinet · fan · perch · stem · wind · nail

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. capital — money
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stem — to come from
  10. branch — a division
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. perch — the fish
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. capital — a city
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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