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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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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: board · bound · lash · branch · present · bat · wound · calf

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bound — tied together
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. board — to get on
  6. branch — a division
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. board — a committee
  12. wound — an injury
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — there
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bat — the animal

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