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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: branch · spell · charge · firm · bound · season · march · spring

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. march — the month
  4. spell — a short time
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. season — in sport
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bound — obliged
  9. march — the month
  10. branch — a division
  11. spell — magic
  12. charge — in control
  13. march — music
  14. season — of the year
  15. firm — steady
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. spring — the season
  18. bound — tied together
  19. firm — a company
  20. bound — certain
  21. charge — a price
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spell — letters

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