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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: bound · bear · cell · saw · branch · bay · pitcher · rest

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rest — a break
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. branch — a division
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bound — certain
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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