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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 120 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: mark · branch · stem · trunk · pound · rash

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. rash — a series
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. mark — a trace
  9. pound — a weight
  10. branch — a division
  11. stem — to come from
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. pound — to hit hard

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