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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: branch · roll · ruler · trunk · rest · stick · pound · ground

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. roll — a cake
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. pound — a weight
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rest — what's left
  11. ground — crushed
  12. roll — a list
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. branch — a division
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. ground — the earth
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. ground — a position
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. trunk — of a car

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