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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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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: fine · kick · lie · branch · wind · racket · bowl · capital

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. fine — high quality
  3. capital — money
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. capital — a city
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. lie — to recline
  9. wind — moving air
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. kick — in football
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fine — all right
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — to roll

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