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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 116 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 · saw · branch · mark · fall · mouse · last · stick

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mark — a trace
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. branch — a division
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mark — a grade
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pound — a weight
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. fall — the season
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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