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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: bulb · saw · kick · bound · mug · band · branch · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. bound — obliged
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. band — a ring
  8. saw — the tool
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a cup
  12. kick — in football
  13. fine — high quality
  14. band — a music group
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bound — certain
  19. saw — the tool
  20. branch — a division
  21. mug — a face
  22. bulb — for light
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bound — tied together

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