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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: pass · fall · pitcher · branch · row · bank · drill · cold

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. row — to paddle
  3. drill — a practice
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bank — for money
  9. drill — army training
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. row — a line
  12. drill — the tool
  13. fall — the season
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. cold — an illness
  16. bank — of a river
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. fall — to drop
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bank — for money
  23. cold — not warm
  24. row — a quarrel

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