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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 · branch · stem · game · current · deal · row · rash

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. current — electric
  3. row — to paddle
  4. drill — a practice
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. drill — the tool
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. drill — army training
  12. stem — to come from
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. current — of water
  15. game — wild animals
  16. current — happening now
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. game — a match
  20. rash — hasty
  21. branch — a division
  22. rash — a series
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. rash — on the skin

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