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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: toast · branch · spring · stem · stand · scale · nail · craft

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. toast — bread
  7. stem — to come from
  8. spring — a coil
  9. scale — in music
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. scale — size or range
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. branch — a division
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. craft — a skill
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. stand — to bear
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. spring — of water
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. spring — the season

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