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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: fine · sharp · branch · roll · wound · bound · race · foot

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. wound — an injury
  4. branch — a division
  5. race — a contest
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. race — the arms race
  8. fine — high quality
  9. roll — a list
  10. fine — all right
  11. sharp — clever
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. foot — a measure
  16. roll — a cake
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bound — certain
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. race — humankind
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bound — obliged
  24. sharp — exactly

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