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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: press · file · scale · leaves · rule · drill · mouse · branch

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. press — newspapers
  4. drill — army training
  5. rule — government
  6. drill — a practice
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. file — a document
  9. branch — a division
  10. scale — in music
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. drill — the tool
  13. press — to push
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. press — a publisher
  17. rule — a law
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. file — a tool
  22. scale — size or range
  23. file — a line of people
  24. scale — for weighing

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