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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: branch · foot · spring · bark · bore · leaves · bound · straw

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. spring — a coil
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. spring — of water
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. spring — the season
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. branch — a division
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bore — to tire
  23. foot — a measure
  24. bound — certain

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