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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 116 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: scale · deal · spring · rest · nail · branch · hand · mate

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — to handle
  5. spring — of water
  6. mate — a partner
  7. rest — a break
  8. spring — a coil
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. scale — size or range
  11. mate — a friend
  12. scale — in music
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. branch — a division
  15. hand — help
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rest — what's left
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. hand — in cards
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. mate — to breed
  24. rest — what's left

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