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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: stock · date · last · saw · branch · plane · can · snap

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. last — finally
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — goods
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. last — to go on
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. saw — the tool
  12. branch — a division
  13. last — final
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stock — shares
  16. date — the fruit
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. plane — a tool
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. snap — to click

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