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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: net · spell · object · racket · clip · last · bank · branch

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. spell — a short time
  3. last — to go on
  4. net — after costs
  5. last — finally
  6. object — a thing
  7. clip — a video
  8. spell — magic
  9. object — an aim
  10. clip — for paper
  11. object — to protest
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. last — final
  14. bank — of a river
  15. spell — letters
  16. net — in sport
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bank — for money
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. clip — to cut
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. net — for catching
  23. bank — for money
  24. branch — a division

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