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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: stand · prune · perch · pound · hide · content · calf · branch

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pound — a weight
  4. branch — a division
  5. stand — to bear
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. content — the amount
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. prune — to trim
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. hide — animal skin

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