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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: prune · rock · shower · branch · march · cabinet · firm · trunk

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. prune — to trim
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — steady
  7. rock — a stone
  8. branch — a division
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rock — music
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. march — music
  16. firm — decided
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. shower — rain
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. prune — to trim
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. march — the month
  24. shower — to wash

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