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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — obliged
  3. branch — a division
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. track — a path
  8. season — of the year
  9. bound — certain
  10. rock — music
  11. wound — an injury
  12. track — a song
  13. track — to keep track
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pound — a weight
  17. season — in sport
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. rock — a stone
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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