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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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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: dip · stick · hide · capital · branch · row · tear · pitch

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. capital — money
  3. tear — to rip
  4. branch — a division
  5. tear — from crying
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — to paddle
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — completely
  16. dip — to sink
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. tear — from crying
  20. capital — a city
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. dip — a sauce

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