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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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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: wake · stick · snap · board · mate · dip · toast · branch

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — a division
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to sink
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. mate — a partner
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. board — to get on
  10. snap — to click
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. mate — a friend
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. mate — to breed
  18. toast — bread
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. board — a committee
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. wake — a trail
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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