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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: pop · lie · branch · fork · wake · track · fan · pound

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — a division
  3. pop — to visit
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pound — a weight
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. track — a path
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. track — a song
  17. pop — music
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pop — soda
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. track — to keep track
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — in a road
  24. lie — to recline

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