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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: straw · chest · bound · branch · land · can · bore · fan

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. branch — a division
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — a country
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — to drill
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bound — tied together
  13. chest — a box
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bound — certain
  16. chest — of your body
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bound — obliged
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. land — ground
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. can — a tin
  24. straw — dry grass

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