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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: wake · toast · bass · spell · bound · stock · branch · nail

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. bound — tied together
  5. spell — letters
  6. branch — a division
  7. stock — shares
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — the fish
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — goods
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. spell — magic
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. toast — bread
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — certain
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bass — low music
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wake — a trail

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