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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 · march · fork · rush · calf · branch · prune · lean

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. fork — in a road
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. branch — a division
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. march — the month
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. lean — thin
  16. bound — tied together
  17. rush — hurry
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. march — the month
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lean — to bend
  24. march — music

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