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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: craft · wake · nail · last · branch · mug · fall · bulb

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. last — finally
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. fall — the season
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. wake — a trail
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mug — to rob
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. last — final
  15. craft — a skill
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. mug — a face
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. fall — to drop
  21. last — to go on
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fall — to drop
  24. craft — boats

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