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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: drill · branch · rush · deal · toast · game · tube · fall

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. fall — to drop
  5. tube — the underground
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. deal — to handle
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. drill — a practice
  11. toast — bread
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. tube — a container
  15. drill — army training
  16. rush — hurry
  17. drill — the tool
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. branch — a division
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. game — a match

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