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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: snap · drill · coach · branch · shower · patient · mouse · saw

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. saw — the tool
  6. shower — rain
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. drill — the tool
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. snap — to click
  13. branch — a division
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. shower — to wash
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. drill — a practice
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. drill — army training
  24. patient — a sick person

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