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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: bowl · suit · leaves · kid · season · branch · hand · mouse

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. branch — a division
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. suit — in cards
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. kid — child
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. season — in sport
  18. suit — clothes
  19. kid — to tease
  20. season — of the year
  21. hand — help
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. suit — to fit
  24. leaves — 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