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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 · suit · lean · branch · mug · ball · rash · row

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. branch — a division
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bound — certain
  5. rash — hasty
  6. ball — a great time
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. lean — thin
  9. mug — to rob
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bound — tied together
  12. row — a line
  13. rash — a series
  14. row — to paddle
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — a cup
  17. suit — in cards
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bound — obliged
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. ball — a dance
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. suit — clothes
  24. branch — of a bank

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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