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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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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: tear · pass · branch · lash · face · rock · bound · stick

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — a division
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bound — tied together
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. face — to confront
  14. rock — music
  15. bound — obliged
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. pass — a permit
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. tear — to rip
  24. pass — to spend time

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