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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: mate · branch · rash · last · bass · rest · nail · stock

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  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. mate — a partner
  2. bass — low music
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. mate — to breed
  9. stock — goods
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. rash — hasty
  12. mate — a friend
  13. stock — shares
  14. last — finally
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. rash — a series
  18. rest — a break
  19. last — final
  20. last — to go on
  21. bass — the fish
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rest — what's left
  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