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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: bat · branch · track · wave · safe · spring · pit · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. track — to keep track
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. pit — in a race
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bat — the animal
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. spring — of water
  14. track — a song
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — a coil
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. track — a path
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bound — obliged
  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