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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.

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: branch · drill · trunk · toast · spring · pound · suit · bark

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. drill — a practice
  4. suit — clothes
  5. spring — of water
  6. branch — a division
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. pound — a weight
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. drill — army training
  12. suit — in cards
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bark — to shout
  15. suit — to fit
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. spring — a coil
  19. toast — bread
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. drill — the tool
  22. spring — the season
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bark — 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