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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. spell — a short time
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. current — happening now
  6. branch — a division
  7. march — music
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. kick — in football
  10. wake — a trail
  11. pound — a weight
  12. march — the month
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. march — the month
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — letters
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. current — electric
  23. current — of water
  24. kick — a thrill

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