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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: temple · capital · bound · branch · wind · bore · charge · track

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. track — to keep track
  6. branch — a division
  7. track — a song
  8. bound — obliged
  9. capital — money
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. charge — electricity
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. charge — a price
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — tied together
  16. wind — moving air
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. track — a path
  20. charge — in control
  21. capital — a city
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bore — to tire

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