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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: content · sharp · lie · face · bound · stand · track · branch

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. branch — a division
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bound — tied together
  6. track — a song
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. stand — to bear
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. face — to confront
  12. track — to keep track
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bound — obliged
  16. content — the amount
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bound — certain
  20. content — happy
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. face — to point toward

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