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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: branch · sharp · jam · capital · club · face · leaves · nail

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. face — to point toward
  4. branch — a division
  5. capital — a city
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. capital — money
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. club — for golf
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. club — for dancing
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. face — to confront
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. face — part of the head
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. club — a group
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. nail — on a finger

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