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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 · dip · calf · leaves · saw · stand · branch · net

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. branch — a division
  6. capital — money
  7. net — after costs
  8. dip — to sink
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. capital — a city
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. saw — the tool
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. saw — the tool

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