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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bound — obliged
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. rock — music
  11. bound — tied together
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rock — a stone
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bound — certain

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