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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: bound · rash · lie · saw · craft · chest · bowl · branch

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. saw — the tool
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bound — certain
  6. chest — a box
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. branch — a division
  11. lie — to recline
  12. craft — boats
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bound — obliged
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bound — tied together
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. rash — a series

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