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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: branch · ball · nail · suit · bank · band · hand · mouse

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. hand — help
  3. ball — a dance
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. suit — in cards
  11. bank — of a river
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. hand — in cards
  14. branch — a division
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — to fit
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bank — for money
  21. band — a music group
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. ball — a great time
  24. branch — of a tree

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