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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 120 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: field · arm · bound · wind · object · rash · coach · branch

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. branch — a division
  3. field — a subject
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. object — a thing
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rash — hasty
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bound — certain
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — for sport
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. rash — a series
  17. object — to protest
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bound — tied together
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bound — obliged
  24. object — an aim

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