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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 116 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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. swing — to play on
  6. ball — a dance
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. ball — a great time
  10. branch — a division
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bear — the animal
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — in golf
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bound — certain
  19. bear — the animal
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bound — tied together
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. ball — a round shape

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