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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mark — a grade
  4. shower — rain
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. drill — army training
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. shower — to wash
  12. branch — a division
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. drill — the tool
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. drill — a practice
  24. rush — hurry

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