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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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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bank — of a river
  4. staff — a stick
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bank — for money
  8. branch — a division
  9. bank — for money
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. snap — to click
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. drill — the tool
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. drill — a practice
  18. staff — employees
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. staff — employees
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a match
  23. rest — a break
  24. trunk — of a car

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