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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: pound · bound · branch · spell · lash · season · key · spring

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bound — certain
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. spring — a coil
  5. season — of the year
  6. branch — a division
  7. spell — a short time
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. spell — magic
  11. spring — the season
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bound — tied together
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. key — in music
  16. pound — a weight
  17. bound — obliged
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. spring — of water
  20. key — for a lock
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — in sport
  23. key — the most important part
  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