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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: bark · row · branch · lash · plane · kick · bank · net

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  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. plane — an aircraft
  3. branch — a division
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bark — to shout
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. net — for catching
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bank — of a river
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. kick — in football
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bank — for money
  20. row — a line
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — after costs
  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