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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — tied together
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. mate — a friend
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. mate — a partner
  15. tube — the underground
  16. wound — an injury
  17. branch — a division
  18. march — the month
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. march — the month
  21. mate — to breed
  22. march — music
  23. season — in sport
  24. tube — a container

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