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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · craft · cabinet · stick · bound · band · bear · branch

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rash — hasty
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. branch — a division
  7. bound — tied together
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — a series
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bound — obliged
  15. band — a ring
  16. craft — boats
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bound — certain
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. band — a music group
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — a skill

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