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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 · branch · hide · snap · mug · plane · spring · bound

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. capital — a city
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bound — certain
  7. spring — the season
  8. capital — money
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. branch — a division
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. mug — a cup
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bound — tied together
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bound — obliged
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. mug — a face
  22. spring — of water
  23. snap — to click
  24. capital — a big letter

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