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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: leaves · key · branch · bound · bank · content · bark · drill

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. branch — a division
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. key — for a lock
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. key — in music
  8. bank — for money
  9. key — the most important part
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bound — certain
  13. bank — of a river
  14. drill — a practice
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. drill — the tool
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. content — happy
  19. bound — tied together
  20. content — the amount
  21. bank — for money
  22. drill — army training
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bark — of a tree

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