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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 · trunk · branch · cabinet · suit · tube · saw · chair

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. tube — the underground
  3. saw — the tool
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bound — tied together
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. chair — a leader
  13. tube — a container
  14. bound — certain
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. suit — clothes
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bound — obliged
  23. suit — to fit
  24. chair — to sit on

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