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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. fall — to drop
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. prune — to trim
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bound — certain
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fall — the season
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. perch — the fish
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bound — tied together
  19. fall — to drop
  20. branch — a division
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fine — all right
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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