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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: pound · clip · bass · spring · cap · lie · branch · bound

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bound — certain
  3. lie — to recline
  4. spring — the season
  5. bound — obliged
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. cap — a lid
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — of water
  12. branch — a division
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. clip — a video
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — low music
  18. cap — of ice
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. clip — for paper
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. clip — to cut
  24. bound — tied together

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