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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 116 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: branch · dip · bore · capital · ball · lean · rush · content

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. lean — to bend
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — a division
  9. content — the amount
  10. capital — a city
  11. ball — a great time
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. lean — thin
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. rush — hurry
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — to tire
  22. content — happy
  23. dip — to sink
  24. capital — money

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