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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: capital · arm · craft · patient · stock · branch · bay · lie

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. stock — shares
  5. craft — a skill
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — money
  11. branch — a division
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. stock — goods
  16. craft — boats
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lie — to recline
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. lie — an untruth

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