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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · pound · branch · fan · nail · drill

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. branch — a division
  9. drill — army training
  10. deal — to handle
  11. drill — the tool
  12. pound — a weight
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. nail — on a finger

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