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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: toast · branch · can · suit · wake · face · coach · firm

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. suit — in cards
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. suit — to fit
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. firm — a company
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — part of the head
  16. suit — clothes
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — decided
  19. branch — a division
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. toast — bread
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. wake — a trail

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