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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: bear · plane · game · sharp · branch · kick · bank · racket

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bear — the animal
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. game — a match
  12. branch — a division
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. kick — in football
  15. bear — the animal
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. game — wild animals
  24. plane — a tool

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