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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: charge · bark · hand · kick · bulb · branch · bank · game

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — a division
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. game — a match
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. charge — in control
  10. kick — in football
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — electricity
  13. game — wild animals
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bank — for money
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — help
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bank — for money

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