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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. band — a music group
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bound — tied together
  7. cap — a lid
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bound — obliged
  10. band — a ring
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. spring — of water
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. cap — of ice
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. branch — a division
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. band — a rubber band
  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