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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cabinet · branch · rush · cell · row · chest · wake · drill

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. chest — a box
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. row — to paddle
  6. cell — a phone
  7. drill — a practice
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. row — a line
  13. cell — in biology
  14. rush — hurry
  15. branch — a division
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. drill — army training
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. chest — of your body
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. drill — the tool
  23. chest — of your body
  24. wake — a trail

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