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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 120 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: stick · deal · branch · nail · coach · band · bark · fall

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. band — a ring
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. fall — the season
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. deal — to handle
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. branch — a division
  18. fall — to drop
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. fall — to drop
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a music group

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