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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: capital · charge · face · band · rush · mug · wound · bound

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — a price
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. band — a music group
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. band — a ring
  9. face — to confront
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bound — tied together
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bound — obliged
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. face — part of the head
  16. mug — to rob
  17. rush — hurry
  18. face — to point toward
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bound — certain
  21. mug — a face
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — money
  24. wound — an injury

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