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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: march · bear · mark · branch · board · bound · spell · trunk

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bound — tied together
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. board — a committee
  10. march — the month
  11. spell — magic
  12. mark — a grade
  13. march — music
  14. mark — a trace
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. spell — letters
  19. march — the month
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. branch — a division
  23. board — to get on
  24. bound — obliged

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