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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 120 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: branch · racket · bound · arm · face · last · bore · lie

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. face — part of the head
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bore — to tire
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bound — certain
  9. last — finally
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. face — to point toward
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. last — final
  14. face — to confront
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bound — tied together
  21. branch — a division
  22. bound — obliged
  23. last — to go on
  24. lie — to recline

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