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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 116 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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. fall — to drop
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. drill — the tool
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fall — to drop
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. kid — child
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. kid — to tease
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. branch — a division
  15. root — the cause
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — of a plant
  22. drill — a practice
  23. fall — the season
  24. branch — of a tree

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