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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. rock — a stone
  3. track — a path
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. shower — rain
  7. bound — tied together
  8. land — ground
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bound — certain
  13. land — a country
  14. current — electric
  15. land — to come down
  16. track — a song
  17. mine — for digging
  18. rock — music
  19. current — happening now
  20. track — to keep track
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. shower — to wash
  23. branch — a division
  24. current — of water

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