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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 · plane · wound · staff · branch · bound · safe · row

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bound — tied together
  3. wound — an injury
  4. staff — a stick
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bound — obliged
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. wound — an injury
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. capital — money
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a line
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. staff — employees
  17. plane — a tool
  18. capital — a city
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bound — certain
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. staff — employees

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