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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: stick · clip · saw · board · bound · rest · fan · branch

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  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. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. rest — a break
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bound — certain
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bound — obliged
  8. saw — the tool
  9. branch — a division
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. rest — what's left
  12. board — a committee
  13. clip — to cut
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. clip — a video
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. board — to get on
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bound — tied together
  24. branch — of a bank

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