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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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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: fall · capital · object · snap · charge · branch · vault · bound

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. capital — a city
  3. charge — in control
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. branch — a division
  6. fall — the season
  7. capital — money
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. object — to protest
  10. bound — certain
  11. object — a thing
  12. charge — electricity
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. object — an aim
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — obliged
  17. snap — to click
  18. vault — a safe
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. charge — a price
  23. fall — to drop
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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