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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 120 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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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: wind · bank · branch · bear · kick · rest · cap · board

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bank — of a river
  4. wind — moving air
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. kick — in football
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. cap — of ice
  10. wind — moving air
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. cap — a hat
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bank — for money
  15. rest — a break
  16. board — a committee
  17. branch — a division
  18. bank — for money
  19. bear — the animal
  20. board — to get on
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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