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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: branch · pound · land · bear · last · lean · prune · charge

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bear — the animal
  3. last — to go on
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bear — the animal
  7. land — to come down
  8. last — finally
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. lean — to bend
  11. charge — a price
  12. branch — a division
  13. prune — to trim
  14. last — final
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. land — a country
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. lean — thin
  24. prune — to trim

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