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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 120 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: scale · prune · spell · branch · fork · bank · wind · firm

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. branch — a division
  4. scale — in music
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. firm — steady
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bank — of a river
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. spell — magic
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — a company
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — a short time
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bank — for money
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bank — for money
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. wind — to turn a key

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