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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: lie · bound · row · rush · face · capital · branch · can

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bound — obliged
  4. can — a tin
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. can — to be able to
  7. lie — to recline
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. can — a tin
  10. row — to paddle
  11. capital — money
  12. bound — certain
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. row — a line
  19. face — to confront
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. face — to point toward
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bound — tied together
  24. row — a quarrel

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