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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: arm · track · saw · bound · fork · branch · lean · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lean — thin
  4. track — a path
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. lean — to bend
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. fork — in a road
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. track — a song
  14. branch — a division
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — certain
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. track — to keep track
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bound — obliged
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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