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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.

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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: spell · branch · temple · ball · wave · capital · stock · firm

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — a division
  3. spell — magic
  4. stock — goods
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — decided
  8. ball — a great time
  9. capital — money
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — shares
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. spell — letters
  15. ball — a dance
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. firm — a company
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. capital — a city
  22. spell — a short time
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. capital — a big letter

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