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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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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 · charge · branch · rest · last · bound · track · march

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  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. branch — of a tree
  2. track — to keep track
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — final
  5. charge — in control
  6. last — finally
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. charge — a price
  10. march — the month
  11. branch — a division
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — obliged
  14. rest — what's left
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bound — tied together
  18. march — the month
  19. track — a path
  20. march — music
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. track — a song
  23. branch — of a bank
  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