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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.

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 · bowl · season · fork · wax · bank · hand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. branch — a division
  5. hand — in cards
  6. season — in sport
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. fork — in a road
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bank — for money
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bank — for money
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — money
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. hand — help
  20. bank — of a river
  21. season — of the year
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. wax — in the ear

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