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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: bank · prune · branch · pound · jam · shower · wave · march

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. shower — rain
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bank — for money
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bank — of a river
  12. march — music
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. prune — to trim
  15. march — the month
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. bank — for money
  19. prune — to trim
  20. branch — a division
  21. pound — a weight
  22. march — the month
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. jam — a tight spot

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