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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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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 · mouse · last · spring · branch · lie · kick · stick

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. branch — a division
  5. spring — a coil
  6. last — final
  7. spring — the season
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. lie — to recline
  12. last — finally
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. last — to go on
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. spring — of water
  19. pound — a weight
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. kick — in football

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