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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. club — for dancing
  4. face — part of the head
  5. ball — a great time
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. branch — a division
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bound — obliged
  11. club — for golf
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. club — a group
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — to point toward
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bound — tied together

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