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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 · capital · clip · branch · mark · rash · rock · mate

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bound — certain
  4. mate — a partner
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bound — obliged
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. capital — money
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. capital — a city
  15. rash — a series
  16. clip — a video
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bound — tied together
  19. mark — a grade
  20. rash — hasty
  21. clip — to cut
  22. clip — for paper
  23. mate — a friend
  24. branch — a division

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