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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: kick · lie · capital · branch · sharp · stand · firm · spell

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. spell — magic
  3. stand — to bear
  4. spell — a short time
  5. capital — money
  6. lie — to recline
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. branch — a division
  9. capital — a city
  10. firm — a company
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. firm — decided
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. kick — in football
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. spell — letters
  19. sharp — clever
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. firm — steady
  24. capital — a big letter

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