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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 120 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: wake · branch · march · stock · lie · mug · nail · net

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. mug — a cup
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. net — for catching
  9. march — the month
  10. net — after costs
  11. lie — to recline
  12. stock — shares
  13. march — music
  14. mug — to rob
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. wake — a trail
  17. stock — goods
  18. march — the month
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. branch — a division
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mug — a face
  23. net — in sport
  24. lie — an untruth

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