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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: rash · kick · branch · trunk · snap · net · bay · band

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. branch — a division
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. net — after costs
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. net — for catching
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. net — in sport
  17. rash — a series
  18. snap — to click
  19. band — a music group
  20. kick — in football
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. rash — hasty
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. band — a ring

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