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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: sharp · spell · bat · lie · bound · branch · charge · bank

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. spell — a short time
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bound — certain
  5. spell — letters
  6. bank — of a river
  7. charge — in control
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bank — for money
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bat — the animal
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bank — for money
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bound — tied together
  21. spell — magic
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. branch — a division

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