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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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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: bear · trunk · mine · branch · track · nail · bark · bank

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bear — the animal
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bank — of a river
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bank — for money
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bank — for money
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. track — a song
  14. bark — to shout
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. track — to keep track
  17. mine — for digging
  18. track — a path
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bear — the animal
  23. branch — a division
  24. mine — an explosive

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