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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: tube · branch · rest · bowl · snap · last · stock · wake

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. rest — what's left
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. wake — a trail
  7. stock — goods
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. rest — a break
  11. tube — the underground
  12. last — finally
  13. tube — a container
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. last — to go on
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. rest — what's left
  19. stock — shares
  20. branch — a division
  21. last — final
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. snap — to click
  24. wake — before a funeral

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