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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: branch · toast · fall · net · stick · fan · ground · bound

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bound — tied together
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. net — after costs
  5. bound — certain
  6. ground — crushed
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. fall — to drop
  10. ground — a position
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. fall — the season
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fall — to drop
  16. branch — a division
  17. bound — obliged
  18. toast — bread
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. net — in sport
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. net — for catching
  23. ground — the earth
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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