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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: capital · stand · hand · wind · pass · can · branch · wake

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. wind — moving air
  3. can — a tin
  4. hand — help
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. branch — a division
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. stand — to bear
  10. can — a tin
  11. wake — a trail
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. capital — a city
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. pass — a permit
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. capital — money
  21. wind — moving air
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. pass — to succeed

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