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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — a division
  4. drill — army training
  5. rock — a stone
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. scale — in music
  11. present — a gift
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. rock — music
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bound — tied together
  18. present — there
  19. present — the time now
  20. bound — obliged
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. drill — a practice
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bound — certain

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