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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 120 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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. branch — a division
  4. tube — the underground
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bank — for money
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bank — of a river
  12. track — to keep track
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. net — for catching
  15. track — a path
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bound — certain
  19. track — a song
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. net — after costs
  22. bank — for money
  23. net — in sport
  24. tube — a container

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