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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: branch · kid · capital · mouse · bay · mine · wave · mate

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. mate — to breed
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. branch — a division
  13. kid — to tease
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. capital — a city
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. kid — child
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. mate — a friend
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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