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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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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: pound · last · branch · dip · fan · bear · wound · trunk

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. wound — an injury
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. last — to go on
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. dip — to sink
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pound — a weight
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bear — the animal
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. last — final
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. last — finally
  24. fan — a supporter

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