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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 120 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: branch · firm · mug · track · bat · cabinet · nail · wake

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. mug — to rob
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. firm — steady
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a song
  8. mug — a face
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. firm — decided
  14. track — a path
  15. firm — a company
  16. branch — a division
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bat — the animal
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bat — for baseball

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