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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: foot · bound · pass · straw · dip · branch · bowl · net

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bound — obliged
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bound — certain
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. foot — a measure
  9. branch — a division
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. net — in sport
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bound — tied together
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — for catching

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