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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: sharp · branch · bowl · kick · leaves · plane · rock · track

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. branch — a division
  7. track — to keep track
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. plane — a tool
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. track — a path
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. kick — in football
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. track — a song
  19. sharp — clever
  20. rock — music
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. plane — an aircraft

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