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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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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: sharp · deal · drill · bound · spring · branch · wake · band

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. deal — to handle
  3. spring — a coil
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bound — certain
  9. spring — of water
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. spring — the season
  12. branch — a division
  13. bound — obliged
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bound — tied together
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a ring
  18. drill — army training
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. wake — a trail
  21. band — a music group
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. drill — the tool
  24. deal — an agreement

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