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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: drill · stick · branch · wake · lie · nail · root · net

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — a trail
  5. root — the cause
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. net — in sport
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. lie — to recline
  10. net — for catching
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — a practice
  15. root — of a word
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. drill — the tool
  19. net — after costs
  20. root — of a plant
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. nail — for a hammer

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