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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: drill · mouse · plane · fall · bowl · branch · mine · deal

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. fall — to drop
  3. deal — to handle
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. fall — the season
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. drill — the tool
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. mine — for digging
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. drill — army training
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. fall — to drop

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