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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bound — obliged
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bound — tied together
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bound — certain
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — a thing
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. ground — a position
  17. rash — a series
  18. object — an aim
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. lean — thin
  21. rash — hasty
  22. lean — to bend
  23. mine — for digging
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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