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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: degree · wax · branch · chip · press · lean · capital · temple

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. capital — money
  3. press — to push
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. degree — from a university
  7. branch — a division
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. press — newspapers
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. degree — an amount
  12. wax — to grow
  13. degree — temperature
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. lean — thin
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. capital — a city
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. chip — for betting
  21. lean — to bend
  22. chip — to eat
  23. press — a publisher
  24. lean — to rest against

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