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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: branch · wound · firm · racket · net · shower · rush · trunk

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. net — for catching
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. firm — decided
  8. shower — to wash
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. firm — steady
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — in sport
  15. shower — rain
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. rush — hurry
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. firm — a company
  24. racket — a loud noise

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