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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 120 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: leaves · rash · bound · root · branch · can · land · spring

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. spring — a coil
  3. can — to be able to
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. root — the cause
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. land — to come down
  8. root — of a word
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bound — certain
  13. land — ground
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — a series
  17. spring — of water
  18. bound — obliged
  19. root — of a plant
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. spring — the season
  22. land — a country
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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