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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 · hide · pitcher · fall · current · bound · ball · rule

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. fall — to drop
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. ball — a great time
  8. current — happening now
  9. bound — tied together
  10. rule — government
  11. branch — a division
  12. current — of water
  13. bound — certain
  14. fall — to drop
  15. ball — a dance
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. current — electric
  19. rule — a law
  20. fall — the season
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bound — obliged
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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