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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 · nail · net · toast · bay · spell · foot · spring

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. spring — of water
  6. spell — a short time
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. spell — magic
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. foot — a measure
  11. net — in sport
  12. toast — bread
  13. branch — a division
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. spring — the season
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. spring — a coil
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. spell — letters
  22. net — after costs
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. net — for catching

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