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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 · fall · cell · nail · bound · bore · wound · racket

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bound — obliged
  4. cell — in biology
  5. branch — a division
  6. bore — to drill
  7. fall — to drop
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. wound — an injury
  17. fall — to drop
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fall — the season
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — tied together
  23. cell — a phone
  24. nail — on a finger

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