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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: drill · content · rest · craft · net · toast · branch · pass

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. content — the amount
  3. branch — a division
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. drill — army training
  8. net — after costs
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. rest — a break
  11. content — happy
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pass — a permit
  15. net — in sport
  16. craft — a skill
  17. toast — bread
  18. craft — boats
  19. net — for catching
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — a practice
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. branch — of a tree

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