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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: mouse · branch · chest · calf · straw · file · drill · track

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. file — a tool
  3. chest — a box
  4. file — a line of people
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. track — a song
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. file — a document
  15. drill — the tool
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — army training
  20. track — a path
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. branch — a division
  23. track — to keep track
  24. calf — of the leg

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