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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: dip · branch · spring · mark · last · roll · net · can

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a trace
  4. last — final
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. roll — a list
  8. roll — a cake
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — a division
  11. last — finally
  12. can — to be able to
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — for catching
  15. spring — a coil
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. spring — the season
  18. net — after costs
  19. last — to go on
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. spring — of water
  24. roll — on a roll

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