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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: hand · bank · cue · game · kick · mug · branch · bear

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. mug — a face
  4. cue — a hint
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. kick — in football
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. hand — help
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bank — of a river
  13. game — wild animals
  14. branch — a division
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bear — the animal
  17. game — a match
  18. mug — a cup
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bank — for money
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bear — the animal

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