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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: nail · mate · branch · mine · stock · rush · bulb · prune

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. stock — goods
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. stock — shares
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. branch — a division
  12. mate — a friend
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mate — to breed
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. rush — hurry
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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