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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: charge · branch · mouse · straw · drill · lean · tube · kid

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  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. charge — electricity
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. charge — in control
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. kid — child
  11. charge — a price
  12. tube — the underground
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. drill — a practice
  15. lean — thin
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. drill — the tool
  18. tube — a container
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — to bend
  23. kid — to tease
  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