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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: ground · band · craft · snap · lean · mate · branch · net

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a ring
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. mate — to breed
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to click
  12. ground — the earth
  13. mate — a friend
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — boats
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. ground — crushed
  18. branch — a division
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. mate — a partner
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. ground — a position

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