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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 116 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: bound · mark · stick · clip · pitcher · branch · safe · hand

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. clip — to cut
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bound — certain
  7. mark — a trace
  8. clip — a video
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mark — a grade
  15. hand — in cards
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bound — tied together
  18. branch — a division
  19. clip — for paper
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. hand — help
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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