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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: bay · can · branch · wind · tear · spring · capital · racket

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. spring — of water
  4. can — a tin
  5. capital — a city
  6. wind — moving air
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. can — to be able to
  12. capital — money
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. can — a tin
  15. tear — from crying
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. spring — a coil
  18. wind — moving air
  19. spring — the season
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. branch — a division

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