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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: fan · capital · bound · bank · spell · rush · cap · branch

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. cap — of ice
  3. capital — money
  4. spell — magic
  5. cap — a hat
  6. spell — a short time
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bank — of a river
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bank — for money
  12. spell — letters
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — tied together
  16. capital — a city
  17. bank — for money
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. branch — a division
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. cap — a lid
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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