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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — a practice
  3. file — a tool
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. file — a document
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. drill — army training
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. current — of water
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. root — the cause
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. root — of a word
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. current — electric
  21. file — a line of people
  22. root — of a plant
  23. branch — a division
  24. current — happening now

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