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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 · capital · staff · plane · tube · coach · bear · dip

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. capital — a city
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bear — the animal
  6. capital — money
  7. staff — employees
  8. dip — to sink
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bear — the animal
  13. staff — a stick
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. tube — a container
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. branch — a division

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