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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: bound · branch · snap · plane · kid · spring · toast · nail

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bound — tied together
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. plane — a tool
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. kid — child
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. spring — the season
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — certain
  19. spring — of water
  20. snap — to click
  21. branch — a division
  22. toast — bread
  23. kid — to tease
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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