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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. branch — a division
  3. snap — to click
  4. pit — in a race
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. field — a subject
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. field — for sport
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pit — a hole
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bark — to shout
  23. field — farmland
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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