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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: bear · game · track · wave · safe · branch · face · capital

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. game — wild animals
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. face — part of the head
  5. track — a path
  6. branch — a division
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — to point toward
  16. game — a match
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. track — a song
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. capital — money
  23. bear — the animal
  24. track — to keep track

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