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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 · fan · wave · wound · date · branch · hide · track

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bound — obliged
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. track — a song
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — certain
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. track — a path
  13. wound — an injury
  14. track — to keep track
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. date — the fruit
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. branch — a division

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