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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 · spell · suit · bound · lie · swing · toast · file

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. branch — a division
  6. suit — to fit
  7. spell — letters
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bound — obliged
  10. suit — in cards
  11. file — a tool
  12. file — a line of people
  13. spell — magic
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. swing — in golf
  16. lie — to recline
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bound — tied together
  19. spell — a short time
  20. toast — bread
  21. swing — music
  22. file — a document
  23. bound — certain
  24. suit — clothes

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