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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: net · branch · fall · leaves · stand · jam · rush · drill

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. drill — a practice
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. net — after costs
  5. fall — to drop
  6. drill — army training
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. drill — the tool
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. fall — the season
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — for catching
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — hurry
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. fall — to drop
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. branch — a division

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