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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 120 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: saw · branch · season · trunk · march · pound · safe · leaves

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. march — the month
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. season — in sport
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. pound — a weight
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. saw — the tool
  24. season — of the year

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