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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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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 · prune · branch · present · kick · tube · lean

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. present — there
  9. present — the time now
  10. prune — to trim
  11. branch — a division
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. kick — in football
  14. present — a gift
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. tube — the underground
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bear — the animal
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. prune — to trim

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