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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.

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: branch · fine · capital · hand · land · bowl · hide · lash

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. land — a country
  4. capital — money
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. fine — high quality
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. land — ground
  16. capital — a city
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. branch — a division
  21. fine — all right
  22. hand — in cards
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. land — to come down

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