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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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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 took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. shower — rain
  3. pop — soda
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. game — a match
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pop — music
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. game — wild animals
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bound — tied together
  14. shower — to wash
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a music group
  18. branch — a division
  19. board — to get on
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bound — certain
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. board — a committee
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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