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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: branch · chest · can · kick · band · net · spell · bowl

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. chest — a box
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. spell — letters
  6. net — in sport
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. band — a music group
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. net — after costs
  11. kick — in football
  12. branch — a division
  13. can — to be able to
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. spell — magic
  16. can — a tin
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. spell — a short time
  19. can — a tin
  20. chest — of your body
  21. band — a ring
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. net — for catching

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