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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: leaves · lash · capital · degree · safe · hand · branch · dip

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. degree — an amount
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. hand — help
  13. degree — temperature
  14. branch — a division
  15. degree — from a university
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. hand — in cards
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. capital — a city
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. capital — money

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