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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — army training
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. mug — a face
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. game — a match
  12. mug — a cup
  13. game — wild animals
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. branch — a division
  18. drill — the tool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. kid — to tease
  21. kid — child
  22. shower — to wash
  23. mug — to rob
  24. foot — a measure

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