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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. drill — the tool
  4. swing — music
  5. rush — hurry
  6. ground — a position
  7. swing — to play on
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. ground — the earth
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. branch — a division
  12. rash — a series
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. last — to go on
  15. swing — in golf
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. rash — hasty
  18. last — finally
  19. drill — army training
  20. last — final
  21. kick — in football
  22. drill — a practice
  23. ground — crushed
  24. kick — a thrill

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