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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: lie · bulb · swing · branch · bound · bark · rock · saw

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bulb — for light
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bound — obliged
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bound — tied together
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. swing — music
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bound — certain
  19. lie — to recline
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. swing — in golf
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rock — to move gently

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