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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 · pound · last · lean · branch · march · file · ruler

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bound — certain
  4. last — final
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bound — obliged
  7. file — a tool
  8. march — the month
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. march — the month
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pound — a weight
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. file — a line of people
  15. last — to go on
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. branch — a division
  18. file — a document
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. lean — thin
  21. last — finally
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. march — music
  24. bound — tied together

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