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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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Word bank
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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: object · deal · face · spring · drill · mouse · branch · file

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a document
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. drill — army training
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. object — to protest
  8. face — to confront
  9. branch — a division
  10. face — to point toward
  11. spring — a coil
  12. deal — to handle
  13. spring — of water
  14. drill — the tool
  15. object — a thing
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. object — an aim
  19. file — a line of people
  20. spring — the season
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. face — part of the head
  24. drill — a practice

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