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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: squash · fan · prune · craft · vault · object · branch · pound

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. squash — the sport
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. object — an aim
  10. branch — a division
  11. object — a thing
  12. vault — a safe
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. craft — boats
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — to crush
  19. object — to protest
  20. craft — a skill
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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