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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.

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: bank · lean · pass · track · branch · bark · band · racket

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bank — of a river
  7. branch — a division
  8. bank — for money
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bank — for money
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. track — a song
  16. band — a ring
  17. track — a path
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. lean — thin
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. band — a music group
  24. branch — of a bank

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