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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: can · branch · spell · toast · straw · bass · last · net

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. spell — letters
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. last — to go on
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. branch — a division
  7. net — for catching
  8. spell — magic
  9. can — a tin
  10. bass — low music
  11. last — final
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. net — in sport
  15. last — finally
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bass — the fish
  18. spell — a short time
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — bread
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. can — to be able to
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. can — a tin

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