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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: toast · suit · mouse · branch · bound · lie · mine · wound

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bound — tied together
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — clothes
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. wound — an injury
  12. toast — bread
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. branch — a division
  16. bound — certain
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mine — for digging
  20. lie — to recline
  21. suit — in cards
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bound — obliged
  24. branch — of a bank

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