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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: rock · charge · nail · snap · cabinet · drill · branch · roll

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. charge — a price
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rock — a stone
  5. roll — a list
  6. drill — a practice
  7. roll — a cake
  8. branch — a division
  9. drill — army training
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. charge — in control
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. charge — electricity
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — music
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. drill — the tool

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