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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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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bark — to shout
  5. branch — a division
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bass — low music
  14. lean — thin
  15. craft — boats
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. track — a path
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bass — the fish
  20. track — a song
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. lean — to bend
  24. branch — of a bank

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