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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 120 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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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: lie · bound · press · pop · bore · branch · sharp · mate

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bore — to tire
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. press — a publisher
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bound — certain
  9. mate — a partner
  10. press — to push
  11. sharp — clever
  12. branch — a division
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bound — obliged
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. lie — to recline
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — soda
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. press — newspapers
  23. pop — music
  24. mate — to breed

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