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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. branch — a division
  3. chip — to eat
  4. cell — in biology
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bound — tied together
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cell — a phone
  10. bank — for money
  11. bound — certain
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bank — of a river
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. rest — a break
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bank — for money
  23. wake — a trail
  24. rest — what's left

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