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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lean · face · kid · current · fork · clip · branch · bound

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. current — electric
  3. bound — tied together
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to confront
  7. current — of water
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. clip — to cut
  12. bound — certain
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. branch — a division
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bound — obliged
  18. clip — for paper
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — to tease
  21. clip — a video
  22. current — happening now
  23. fork — in a road
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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