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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: branch · ground · toast · lash · present · bark · bound · fall

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. bark — to shout
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. fall — to drop
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. fall — to drop
  11. branch — a division
  12. ground — crushed
  13. toast — bread
  14. present — there
  15. ground — the earth
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — the time now
  18. ground — a position
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. bound — certain
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. fall — the season

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