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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: stick · lean · bay · perch · branch · swing · pitcher · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. lean — thin
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lean — to bend
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. swing — music
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. swing — in golf
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. swing — to play on
  21. branch — a division
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bound — tied together
  24. lean — to rest against

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