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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: capital · bound · branch · rock · rash · current · pop · lash

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. pop — soda
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. rock — a stone
  6. current — happening now
  7. capital — money
  8. rash — a series
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. current — of water
  12. rash — hasty
  13. pop — to visit
  14. current — electric
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bound — certain
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. capital — a city
  20. rock — music
  21. bound — tied together
  22. pop — music
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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