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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: content · branch · mouse · fork · rush · lean · drill · present

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. content — the amount
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. drill — army training
  8. lean — thin
  9. content — happy
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. lean — to bend
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. present — there
  16. drill — a practice
  17. rush — hurry
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. fork — in a road
  20. present — the time now
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. present — a gift

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