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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: bound · branch · craft · capital · fall · nail · current · lie

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — obliged
  4. capital — money
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — a city
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bound — tied together
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. current — of water
  12. fall — the season
  13. current — electric
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. craft — a skill
  16. fall — to drop
  17. craft — boats
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fall — to drop
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. branch — a division
  23. current — happening now
  24. craft — a handicraft

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