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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.

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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: branch · wave · leaves · track · bark · bank · shower · squash

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. squash — to crush
  4. branch — a division
  5. squash — the sport
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bank — for money
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. track — to keep track
  12. shower — to wash
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bank — for money
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bank — of a river
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. shower — rain
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. track — a path
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bark — to shout
  23. track — a song
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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