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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: deal · branch · bound · rash · leaves · fork · mark · hand

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. hand — help
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. rash — hasty
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bound — certain
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bound — tied together
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. branch — a division
  18. rash — a series
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. deal — to handle
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. bound — obliged
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mark — a trace

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