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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: rush · stem · nail · toast · bay · branch · object · court

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. court — of a king
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. branch — a division
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. toast — bread
  11. object — a thing
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. court — of law
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. object — to protest
  22. court — for sport
  23. rush — hurry
  24. object — an aim

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