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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: straw · temple · bound · arm · rule · bear · branch · track

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bound — tied together
  3. branch — a division
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bear — the animal
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bound — obliged
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. track — a path
  11. track — to keep track
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bear — the animal
  15. track — a song
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — a law
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bound — certain
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. temple — a place of worship

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