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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 120 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: board · rush · capital · straw · key · branch · dip · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. key — in music
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. branch — a division
  7. key — for a lock
  8. capital — a city
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. board — a committee
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. fall — to drop
  14. capital — money
  15. fall — to drop
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. key — the most important part
  21. board — to get on
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. straw — dry grass

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