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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: track · bank · bat · chest · lean · branch · craft · deal

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bank — for money
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bat — the animal
  6. craft — a skill
  7. track — a song
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. chest — of your body
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. track — to keep track
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bank — of a river
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — a division
  19. lean — thin
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. track — a path
  22. bank — for money
  23. craft — boats
  24. bat — for baseball

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