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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: track · craft · bound · firm · branch · rash · saw · fall

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. rash — hasty
  3. branch — a division
  4. craft — boats
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rash — a series
  7. bound — certain
  8. fall — the season
  9. firm — a company
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. track — a path
  12. track — a song
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. firm — decided
  16. bound — obliged
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fall — to drop
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. saw — the tool
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bound — tied together

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