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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bulb · date · clip · board · can · prune · bound · branch

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bound — obliged
  3. clip — a video
  4. board — a committee
  5. bound — tied together
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. can — a tin
  8. bulb — for light
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. can — a tin
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. branch — a division
  18. bound — certain
  19. date — the fruit
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bulb — for light
  22. prune — to trim
  23. clip — to cut
  24. clip — for paper

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