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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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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: can · kid · leaves · capital · temple · fall · branch · bowl

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — a division
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. capital — a city
  11. can — a tin
  12. kid — to tease
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. fall — the season
  16. capital — money
  17. kid — child
  18. can — a tin
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. fall — to drop
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. can — to be able to
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. fall — to drop

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