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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: date · branch · saw · fan · mate · drill · snap · cabinet

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. mate — a partner
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. saw — the tool
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. drill — the tool
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. mate — to breed
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. saw — the tool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. date — the fruit
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. mate — a friend
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. snap — to click
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. date — on the calendar
  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