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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: temple · capital · branch · straw · wave · pop · nail · can

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. pop — to visit
  8. capital — money
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pop — music
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. can — a tin
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pop — soda
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. capital — a city
  24. straw — dry grass

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