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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spell · trunk · snap · land · coach · branch · wake · stick

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. land — a country
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. wake — a trail
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. branch — a division
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. spell — magic
  16. snap — to click
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — letters
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. land — to come down
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. land — ground

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