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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: bound · branch · mug · charge · face · deal · hide · capital

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bound — certain
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. branch — a division
  7. mug — to rob
  8. charge — a price
  9. mug — a cup
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mug — a face
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bound — tied together
  17. charge — electricity
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bound — obliged
  20. face — to confront
  21. charge — in control
  22. face — part of the head
  23. capital — money
  24. branch — of a tree

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