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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. track — a song
  3. branch — a division
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. hand — in cards
  9. wound — an injury
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. tube — a container
  12. wound — an injury
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. track — a path
  15. hand — help
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bound — certain
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. tube — the underground
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bound — obliged
  24. track — to keep track

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