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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 116 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: bowl · drill · fan · mate · present · saw · branch · deal

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. drill — a practice
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. drill — the tool
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. present — a gift
  8. mate — to breed
  9. branch — a division
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. present — the time now
  14. drill — army training
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. deal — to handle
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mate — a friend
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. present — there
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. branch — of a bank

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