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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 · ground · bulb · track · lie · saw · branch · rash

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. track — a song
  4. bulb — for light
  5. ground — a position
  6. bulb — for light
  7. capital — a city
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. ground — the earth
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — money
  12. saw — the tool
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. track — a path
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. saw — the tool
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. ground — crushed
  21. rash — a series
  22. branch — a division
  23. track — to keep track
  24. rash — on the skin

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