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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: bound · rash · stem · craft · object · branch · track · wound

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. rash — a series
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. object — a thing
  8. craft — boats
  9. track — a song
  10. object — an aim
  11. bound — obliged
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bound — tied together
  14. track — to keep track
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rash — hasty
  17. wound — an injury
  18. track — a path
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. object — to protest
  21. craft — a skill
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bound — certain
  24. branch — a division

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