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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 116 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: lean · branch · mate · drill · wave · bear · racket · bound

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. branch — a division
  6. lean — to bend
  7. drill — a practice
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bear — the animal
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bound — obliged
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mate — to breed
  14. drill — the tool
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. drill — army training
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mate — a partner
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. lean — thin

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