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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: prune · bound · temple · straw · stick · branch · face · content

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. content — the amount
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. content — happy
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — certain
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. branch — a division
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. face — to point toward
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. face — to confront
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. temple — side of the head
  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