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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 120 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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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: bass · board · rush · bulb · branch · leaves · mate · bound

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. rush — hurry
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bound — obliged
  7. branch — a division
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bound — tied together
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bound — certain
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — to get on
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bass — low music
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bulb — for light

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