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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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468
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: leaves · branch · coach · rock · bark · bank · sharp · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bank — for money
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — clever
  9. rock — music
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bark — to shout
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bank — for money
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bank — of a river
  23. branch — a division
  24. bark — 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