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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 · ball · snap · branch · tear · coach · content · season

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. branch — a division
  3. bound — tied together
  4. tear — from crying
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. snap — to click
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bound — certain
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. ball — a dance
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. content — happy
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. content — the amount
  18. ball — a great time
  19. season — in sport
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — to add flavour

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