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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: rest · bound · rock · hide · lie · cabinet · branch · pitcher

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bound — tied together
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. branch — a division
  8. rest — what's left
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. rest — what's left
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. lie — to recline
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bound — obliged
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bound — certain
  24. cabinet — ministers

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