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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 · bear · shower · bowl · mouse · craft · clip · branch

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bear — the animal
  8. clip — for paper
  9. shower — rain
  10. clip — a video
  11. clip — to cut
  12. shower — to wash
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — a weight
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. craft — boats
  19. branch — a division
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. branch — of a tree

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