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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: cell · craft · root · branch · snap · spring · stock · toast

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in biology
  3. root — of a plant
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. spring — of water
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. toast — bread
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. spring — the season
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. snap — to click
  12. root — of a word
  13. craft — a skill
  14. spring — a coil
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. root — the cause
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. craft — boats
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — goods
  22. branch — a division
  23. stock — shares
  24. branch — of a tree

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