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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: present · branch · file · tube · face · trunk · bound · stand

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. tube — the underground
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. present — the time now
  5. file — a line of people
  6. present — a gift
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. present — there
  9. file — a document
  10. stand — to bear
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — part of the head
  13. file — a tool
  14. tube — a container
  15. face — to point toward
  16. branch — a division
  17. bound — certain
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bound — obliged
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. stand — on your feet

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