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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. charge — a price
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — the cause
  7. spring — the season
  8. branch — a division
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. root — of a plant
  13. charge — in control
  14. rush — hurry
  15. drill — a practice
  16. spring — of water
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. charge — electricity
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. spring — a coil
  23. drill — the tool
  24. rock — a stone

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