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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 · current · root · branch · leaves · clip · roll · trunk

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. roll — a list
  6. clip — for paper
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. clip — to cut
  12. pound — a weight
  13. clip — a video
  14. current — of water
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. root — the cause
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. roll — a cake
  20. root — of a plant
  21. current — electric
  22. root — of a word
  23. current — happening now
  24. branch — a division

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