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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: capital · dip · last · race · leaves · bound · bear · branch

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to sink
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. race — humankind
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. last — finally
  11. bound — obliged
  12. race — the arms race
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. capital — money
  17. branch — a division
  18. capital — a city
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bound — certain
  22. race — a contest
  23. last — final
  24. last — to go on

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