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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: stick · rest · branch · net · mouse · wound · game · bear

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. net — in sport
  7. rest — what's left
  8. net — after costs
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bear — the animal
  12. game — wild animals
  13. net — for catching
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rest — a break
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. wound — an injury
  21. game — a match
  22. branch — a division
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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