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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mate · drill · lean · branch · swing · saw · temple · object

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. drill — a practice
  3. saw — the tool
  4. branch — a division
  5. saw — the tool
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. mate — a friend
  8. object — an aim
  9. mate — to breed
  10. drill — the tool
  11. lean — thin
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. swing — in golf
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. object — a thing
  20. mate — a partner
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. drill — army training

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