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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 116 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 · present · current · bark · file · plane · branch · wind

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. plane — a tool
  3. wind — moving air
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. current — happening now
  6. present — the time now
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a document
  10. present — there
  11. branch — a division
  12. present — a gift
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bark — to shout
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. current — electric
  22. file — a line of people
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. current — of water

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