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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: stick · bark · mine · rush · branch · patient · bound · charge

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bound — certain
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. mine — for digging
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. charge — a price
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. branch — a division
  13. rush — hurry
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bound — obliged
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bark — to shout
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — electricity
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. patient — a sick person

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