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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: branch · rush · bay · bound · cap · snap · wound · coach

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bound — obliged
  5. cap — a hat
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. snap — to click
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. rush — hurry
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wound — an injury
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. wound — an injury
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. branch — a division
  24. bound — certain

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