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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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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: pass · branch · capital · tear · cabinet · straw · temple · pit

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. tear — from crying
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. capital — a city
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. tear — from crying
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. capital — money
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. pit — in a race
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. tear — to rip
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pit — a hole
  24. straw — a straw man

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