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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. drill — army training
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. rush — hurry
  8. cap — a lid
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. spell — letters
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a hat
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. drill — a practice
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. drill — the tool

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