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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: row · bank · branch · kid · game · sharp · saw · file

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bank — for money
  6. row — to paddle
  7. file — a line of people
  8. game — a match
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. row — a line
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. saw — the tool
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. kid — child
  15. sharp — clever
  16. branch — a division
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a tool
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. saw — the tool

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