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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bear · lie · rest · bound · trunk · nail · club · branch

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. rest — a break
  3. branch — a division
  4. bear — the animal
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. club — for golf
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bound — tied together
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bound — obliged
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. rest — what's left
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bound — certain
  23. club — for dancing
  24. lie — to recline

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