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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: file · tube · branch · pop · bound · date · calf · wound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. tube — a container
  7. branch — a division
  8. pop — music
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. pop — to visit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. wound — an injury
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a tool
  16. wound — an injury
  17. file — a line of people
  18. date — the fruit
  19. pop — soda
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — obliged

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