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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 · saw · wave · bound · calf · charge · branch · ground

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. capital — money
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. ground — crushed
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bound — tied together
  14. branch — a division
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — the earth
  17. saw — the tool
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bound — certain
  20. capital — a city
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. charge — in control
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. charge — a price

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