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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: key · fork · row · bound · leaves · tear · swing · branch

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. swing — music
  4. branch — a division
  5. key — in music
  6. swing — to play on
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. swing — in golf
  9. key — for a lock
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. tear — to rip
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — tied together
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. row — a line
  21. tear — from crying
  22. key — the most important part
  23. tear — from crying
  24. leaves — of a tree

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