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

Word bank: land · branch · pound · wake · safe · shower

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. land — a country
  4. pound — a weight
  5. branch — a division
  6. land — to come down
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. land — ground
  9. shower — to wash
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — a meteor shower

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