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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
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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: row · cap · mouse · degree · bound · branch · chip · lie

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. degree — an amount
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. cap — a lid
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bound — certain
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — of ice
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. row — to paddle
  12. lie — to recline
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. degree — from a university
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — a line
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. degree — temperature
  19. chip — for betting
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bound — tied together
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. chip — to eat
  24. branch — a division

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