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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 116 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: land · mark · board · branch · trunk · bound · fine · straw

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. board — to get on
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. fine — all right
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. mark — a trace
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. board — a committee
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. land — ground
  15. land — a country
  16. bound — obliged
  17. land — to come down
  18. bound — certain
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. fine — high quality
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. branch — a division
  23. trunk — of a car
  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