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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: object · lash · branch · land · bound · key · wave · rock

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  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. bound — tied together
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. key — for a lock
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. object — to protest
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. key — in music
  9. object — an aim
  10. key — the most important part
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bound — obliged
  15. land — ground
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. rock — music
  18. land — to come down
  19. rock — a stone
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. land — a country
  22. object — a thing
  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