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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: bound · pass · bass · chest · pitcher · branch · mine · snap

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bound — obliged
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bound — tied together
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bass — low music
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bass — the fish
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bound — certain
  18. branch — a division
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. snap — to click
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. chest — of your body

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