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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: mate · branch · spring · sharp · lean · bound · foot · board

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. mate — a friend
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bound — tied together
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bound — certain
  10. lean — to bend
  11. foot — a measure
  12. sharp — clever
  13. spring — of water
  14. branch — a division
  15. lean — thin
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. mate — a partner
  18. board — a committee
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. spring — a coil
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. spring — the season
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. mate — to breed

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