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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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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: lean · track · hide · mark · shower · degree · branch · prune

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. track — a path
  3. lean — to bend
  4. degree — temperature
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. lean — thin
  8. degree — from a university
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. track — to keep track
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — a division
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. track — a song
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. prune — to trim
  20. shower — to wash
  21. degree — an amount
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. mark — a trace
  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