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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: rash · lie · bound · branch · game · tube · snap · bore

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. game — a match
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. rash — a series
  5. bore — to tire
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. branch — a division
  8. bound — tied together
  9. snap — to click
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. tube — a container
  13. bore — to drill
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bound — obliged
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bound — certain
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — wild animals
  20. tube — the underground
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — on the skin

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