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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: snap · bank · mug · track · bound · branch · wave · pound

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bound — certain
  5. bank — for money
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — a weight
  11. bank — of a river
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bound — tied together
  14. track — a path
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. track — a song
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — a face
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bank — for money
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bound — obliged

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