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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: pass · bat · nail · deal · bay · shower · branch · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bound — tied together
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. shower — rain
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. pass — a permit
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. branch — a division
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bound — certain
  19. deal — to handle
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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