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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
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: ball · hand · racket · bank · temple · drill · branch · kick

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. ball — a dance
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. drill — army training
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. drill — a practice
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. kick — in football
  10. hand — help
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. drill — the tool
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bank — of a river
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bank — for money
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. branch — a division
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bank — for money

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