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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: bound · fan · branch · rush · stick · drill · deal · mine

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. branch — a division
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bound — certain
  8. drill — a practice
  9. mine — for digging
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. rush — hurry
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. drill — army training
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bound — tied together
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bound — obliged
  24. deal — to handle

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