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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: pound · bark · mug · shower · branch · rest · hand · bank

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. mug — to rob
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. shower — to wash
  11. branch — a division
  12. rest — a break
  13. mug — a face
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. bank — for money
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bank — for money
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. mug — a cup
  23. bank — of a river
  24. shower — rain

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