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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: bank · mouse · race · branch · drill · rush · wake · staff

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. race — a contest
  3. drill — army training
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rush — hurry
  6. drill — a practice
  7. race — humankind
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. staff — a stick
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. branch — a division
  18. bank — of a river
  19. wake — a trail
  20. drill — the tool
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. staff — employees
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. staff — employees

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