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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 116 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. lean — thin
  4. row — a line
  5. cue — a hint
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. march — the month
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bark — to shout
  10. lean — to bend
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. cue — for pool
  16. march — music
  17. branch — a division
  18. bound — obliged
  19. march — the month
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bound — certain
  24. stem — to come from

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