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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: branch · pass · jam · bay · mark · chest · bound · wound

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. wound — an injury
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. wound — an injury
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. chest — a box
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bound — tied together
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pass — a permit

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