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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: bore · branch · hide · row · staff · capital · spell · bay

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. spell — a short time
  3. staff — employees
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bore — to tire
  6. capital — money
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bore — to drill
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. capital — a city
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. row — a line
  16. staff — a stick
  17. spell — letters
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. staff — employees
  21. branch — a division
  22. spell — magic
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. row — a quarrel

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