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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: capital · foot · mug · last · hide · branch · content · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. last — finally
  4. capital — a city
  5. foot — a measure
  6. capital — money
  7. last — final
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. mug — to rob
  10. branch — a division
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. chest — a box
  13. content — the amount
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mug — a cup
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. mug — a face
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. last — to go on
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. content — happy
  24. chest — of your body

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