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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 · present · band · face · board · branch · cue · rock

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bound — obliged
  3. present — there
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. branch — a division
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bound — certain
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — a signal
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. board — to get on
  13. rock — music
  14. band — a ring
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to point toward
  18. rock — a stone
  19. band — a music group
  20. present — a gift
  21. bound — tied together
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. board — a committee
  24. present — the time now

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