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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 116 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: bat · ball · leaves · branch · coach · bark · hand · bank

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bat — the animal
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. hand — in cards
  12. branch — a division
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bark — to shout
  20. hand — help
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. ball — a dance
  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