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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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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: craft · ground · saw · net · rush · bound · branch · season

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. ground — the earth
  3. season — in sport
  4. saw — the tool
  5. craft — boats
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. ground — a position
  8. season — of the year
  9. rush — hurry
  10. craft — a skill
  11. branch — a division
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. net — in sport
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. net — for catching
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. saw — the tool
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. net — after costs
  21. ground — crushed
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — obliged

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