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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: rock · wound · hide · sharp · rash · bank · net · branch

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rash — hasty
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bank — for money
  7. rock — music
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. net — for catching
  17. sharp — clever
  18. branch — a division
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rash — a series
  23. rock — a stone
  24. net — after costs

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