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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — certain
  4. bank — of a river
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bank — for money
  7. press — to push
  8. drill — army training
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bank — for money
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — soda
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bulb — for light
  19. drill — the tool
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — a publisher
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — a division
  24. straw — a straw man

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