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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. mate — a partner
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bound — obliged
  7. tube — a container
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bound — certain
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. track — a path
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. track — a song
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bear — the animal
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. sharp — with an edge

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