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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: temple · branch · season · capital · firm · fall · bound · spell

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bound — tied together
  3. capital — a city
  4. firm — steady
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. firm — a company
  8. fall — to drop
  9. firm — decided
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fall — the season
  13. bound — obliged
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. spell — magic
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bound — certain
  18. fall — to drop
  19. capital — money
  20. season — of the year
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. season — in sport
  24. branch — a division

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