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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 116 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: branch · mug · kid · pop · lie · net · root · bound

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. branch — a division
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bound — tied together
  5. pop — soda
  6. net — after costs
  7. root — of a word
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bound — certain
  10. mug — to rob
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. root — of a plant
  15. net — for catching
  16. kid — to tease
  17. root — the cause
  18. bound — obliged
  19. net — in sport
  20. pop — music
  21. mug — a face
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pop — to visit
  24. kid — child

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