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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: racket · branch · lie · kid · track · hand · spell · can

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. spell — a short time
  3. kid — child
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. can — a tin
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. track — to keep track
  8. lie — to recline
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. branch — a division
  11. hand — help
  12. track — a song
  13. can — a tin
  14. spell — magic
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. can — to be able to
  18. track — a path
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. spell — letters
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. kid — to tease
  24. racket — for tennis

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