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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 116 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: bark · branch · board · wind · bank · last · chip · drill

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — a division
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bank — for money
  6. drill — army training
  7. board — to get on
  8. chip — for betting
  9. last — to go on
  10. chip — to eat
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bark — to shout
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bank — of a river
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bank — for money
  21. last — final
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. board — a committee
  24. wind — moving air

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