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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: lean · firm · bound · rush · spring · branch · temple · cold

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. cold — not warm
  4. branch — a division
  5. spring — the season
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. firm — decided
  8. lean — to bend
  9. firm — steady
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — obliged
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. firm — a company
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — of water
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. cold — an illness
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bound — tied together
  24. rush — hurry

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